Radium jaw: Difference between revisions
Stillnotelf (talk | contribs) Symptoms present in the mouth due to use of the lips and tongue to keep the radium-paint paintbrush properly shaped. |
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'''Radium jaw''' is an [[occupational disease]] brought on by the ingestion and subsequent absorption of [[radium]] into the bones of [[radium dial painters]]. The symptoms are [[Osteonecrosis of the jaw|necrosis]] of the [[human mandible|mandible]] (lower jawbone) and the [[maxilla]] (upper jaw) as well as constant bleeding of the gums and (usually) after some time, severe distortion due to bone tumours and porosity of the lower jaw. |
'''Radium jaw''' is an [[occupational disease]] brought on by the ingestion and subsequent absorption of [[radium]] into the bones of [[radium dial painters]] and those consuming radium-laden patent medicines. The symptoms are [[Osteonecrosis of the jaw|necrosis]] of the [[human mandible|mandible]] (lower jawbone) and the [[maxilla]] (upper jaw) as well as constant bleeding of the gums and (usually) after some time, severe distortion due to bone tumours and porosity of the lower jaw. |
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The condition is similar to [[phossy jaw]], an osteoporitic and osteonecrotic illness of [[london matchgirls strike of 1888|matchgirls]], brought on by phosphorus ingestion and absorption. The first written reference to the disease was by a dentist, Dr. Theodor Blum (1924), who described an unusual mandibular osteomyelitis in a dial painter, a condition he called "radium jaw". |
The condition is similar to [[phossy jaw]], an osteoporitic and osteonecrotic illness of [[london matchgirls strike of 1888|matchgirls]], brought on by phosphorus ingestion and absorption. The first written reference to the disease was by a dentist, Dr. Theodor Blum (1924), who described an unusual mandibular osteomyelitis in a dial painter, a condition he called "radium jaw". |
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The disease was determined by Dr. H.S. Martland in 1924 to be symptomatic of radium paint ingestion, after many female workers from various radium paint companies reported similar dental and mandibular pain. The disease was the main reason for litigation against the [[United States Radium Corporation]] by the so-called [[Radium Girls]]. |
The disease was determined by Dr. H.S. Martland in 1924 to be symptomatic of radium paint ingestion, after many female workers from various radium paint companies reported similar dental and mandibular pain. Symptoms were present in the mouth due to use of the lips and tongue, to keep the radium-paint paintbrushes properly shaped. The disease was the main reason for litigation against the [[United States Radium Corporation]] by the so-called [[Radium Girls]]. |
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Another prominent example of this condition was the death of [[Eben Byers]], an American industrialist, after taking large doses of a patent medicine containing radium over several years. His illness garnered much publicity, with ''The Wall Street Journal'' running a story titled "The Radium Water Worked Fine until His Jaw Came Off", and brought the problem of radioactive [[quackery|quack medicines]] into the public eye. |
Another prominent example of this condition was the death of [[Eben Byers]], an American industrialist, after taking large doses of a patent medicine containing radium over several years. His illness garnered much publicity, with ''The Wall Street Journal'' running a story titled "The Radium Water Worked Fine until His Jaw Came Off", and brought the problem of radioactive [[quackery|quack medicines]] into the public eye. |
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Revision as of 01:56, 17 May 2013
Radium jaw is an occupational disease brought on by the ingestion and subsequent absorption of radium into the bones of radium dial painters and those consuming radium-laden patent medicines. The symptoms are necrosis of the mandible (lower jawbone) and the maxilla (upper jaw) as well as constant bleeding of the gums and (usually) after some time, severe distortion due to bone tumours and porosity of the lower jaw.
The condition is similar to phossy jaw, an osteoporitic and osteonecrotic illness of matchgirls, brought on by phosphorus ingestion and absorption. The first written reference to the disease was by a dentist, Dr. Theodor Blum (1924), who described an unusual mandibular osteomyelitis in a dial painter, a condition he called "radium jaw".
The disease was determined by Dr. H.S. Martland in 1924 to be symptomatic of radium paint ingestion, after many female workers from various radium paint companies reported similar dental and mandibular pain. Symptoms were present in the mouth due to use of the lips and tongue, to keep the radium-paint paintbrushes properly shaped. The disease was the main reason for litigation against the United States Radium Corporation by the so-called Radium Girls.
Another prominent example of this condition was the death of Eben Byers, an American industrialist, after taking large doses of a patent medicine containing radium over several years. His illness garnered much publicity, with The Wall Street Journal running a story titled "The Radium Water Worked Fine until His Jaw Came Off", and brought the problem of radioactive quack medicines into the public eye.