Nemesis and nuclear medicine

Since 1962, the member of nuclear medical examinations ''in vivo'', is multiplied by a factor, which is of the order of magnitude of 39 (estimation for the Charleroi-area). The cumulative mean doses due to nuclear medicine as evaluated in 1962 by the ''Radiation Council U.S.'' reach about 215 mrem (bone marrow) for a female of 70 years and 130mrem (gonads) for a female of 30 years. The fear that these cumulative doses might be multiplied by that factor 39 is not realistic, because in the mean time the long living radionuclides have almost all been replaced by short living radionuclides and also because a great number of tests ''in vitri'' makes it possible to study some functions without irradiations of the patient. (G.C