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1. Embed this notice
   earthling (appassionato@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 22-Sep-2025 08:22:38 JST earthling

   A century ago, a new wellness trend captivated people around the world. Just a small dose of newly discovered supplement could cure almost anything — from gout to headaches to “lack of bodily vigor.”

   People paid through the nose to get their hands on the stuff; unfortunately, it melted away much of the rest of their face. The new magic cure was radioactive, and eventually killed or disabled many of its adherents.

   https://worldhistory.substack.com/p/the-dark-glow-of-radium

   #radium

   • Embed this notice
     Minoru Saba (minorusaba@toad.social)'s status on Monday, 22-Sep-2025 08:23:19 JST Minoru Saba

     in reply to

     • Roy -- the dull one

     @oldclumsy_nowmad @appassionato

     Have given them a wide berth, as well as the highly acidic and the sulphurous ones, but "Some Japanese Put Faith in Radon" onsens.
     https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-nov-21-adfg-radon21-story.html

   • Embed this notice
     earthling (appassionato@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 22-Sep-2025 08:23:20 JST earthling

     in reply to

     Let's not forget the Revigator.

     #radium
     #ads

   • Embed this notice
     Roy -- the dull one (oldclumsy_nowmad@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 22-Sep-2025 08:23:20 JST Roy -- the dull one

     in reply to

     @appassionato

     At various places, people paid by the hour for the chance to sit in an abandoned mine, inhaling radon gas emitted by the rocks.

   • Embed this notice
     Minoru Saba (minorusaba@toad.social)'s status on Monday, 22-Sep-2025 09:36:46 JST Minoru Saba

     in reply to

     • Roy -- the dull one

     @oldclumsy_nowmad @appassionato
     It's baffling, but beliefs in "miracle cures" seem to be an in-built human feature.

   • Embed this notice
     Roy -- the dull one (oldclumsy_nowmad@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 22-Sep-2025 09:36:47 JST Roy -- the dull one

     in reply to

     • Minoru Saba

     @minorusaba @appassionato

     Wow! As recently as that!

     I suppose that, if the dose they receive is very small, the risk would not be very great. Maybe no more than the cosmic ray hazard from taking high-altitude airline flights. But, without very careful and continuous monitoring, how could you feel confident that the radon concentation is not fluctuating and sometimes quite high?