Late effects of radium-224 injected in children and adults survey and comment of a paediatrician

Radium-224 (Ra-224) was already used as medicament before world war I; but because of serious side effects soon abandoned. It was revived as a remedy for tuberculosis and ankylosing spondylitis after world war II by a country doctor called Troch, supported by the Insurance Company ''Braunschweiger Landesversicherungsanstalt'' and over enthusiastic press reports. The 'new' medicine called 'Peteosthor' was a mixture of Ra-224 with traces of the red dye cosine and platinsol. The propaganda in favour of this therapy was so strong, that the government of Lower Saxony asked the University of Goettingen and others to examine this new 'wonderdrug'. Dr. Troch demanded that it should be used only under his personal supervision. As youngest assistent at the university childrens hospital of the University Goettingen I was sent in 1948 to this hospital in Hildesheim to examine 'Peteosthor'. (orig.)