Atomic Medicine

Benefits from the Atomic Bomb.

An elderly man crushes his leg in an accident. A severe infection forces a decision to amputate. But where should the surgeon cut? Above the knee or below the knee? If the man's knee joint can be saved, he will learn to walk again more easily. To make the correct decision, the surgeon must know how far up the patient's leg his blood circulation is impaired. A nurse injects a solution of radioactive salt into his arm. A Geiger counter near the patient's injured kneecap registers the information. The radioactive salt, now part of his blood, is carried by his veins from his arm into his knee joint. The circulation up to that point still functions. His knee can be saved. The same Manhattan Project that developed atomic weapons to destroy human life also developed by-products in the form of radioisotopes, such as those referred to in the example above, to use in saving lives. After the end of World War II...

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