RadloGraphlcs Index terms:HISTORY OF RADIOLOGYMISCELLANEA

Cumulative index terms:RADIOLOGY AND

RADIOLOGISTS#{149}History

Radiology on postage stampsPart 3

Johannes Praestholm, M.D., Ph.D.

Inger Dissing, M.D.

Margrethe Herning, M.D.

Marie Curie

Marie Curie continued her scientificcareer after Pierre Curie’s death in atraffic accident in 1906 ( 1). Monaco,1.OOf,1967.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS IS THE THIRD INA SERIES OF ARTICLES BASED ONTHE 1986 EXHIBIT ON POSTAGESTAMPS RELATING TO THE SCIENCEOF RADIOLOGY THAT DR.PRAESTHOLM AND HIS ASSOCIATESHAVE COLLECTED FROM AROUNDTHE WORLD. SUBJECTS OF PREVI-OUS ARTICLES HAVE BEEN W.C.ROENTGEN. THE EXPLORATION OFTHE ATOM. AND PIERRE AND MARIECURIE. THE PRESENT ARTICLE CON-TINUES THE STORY OF MARIE CURIEAS IT APPEARED ON POSTAGESTAMPS; IT ALSO ILLUSTRATESSTAMPS THAT RELATE TO RADIO-LOGIC EQUIPMENT AND PROCE-DUPES.

From the Department of

Diagnostic Radiology, Hvi-dovre University Hospital. Hvi-dovre, Denmark.

Address reprint requeststo J. Praestholm, M.D.. Ph.D..

Department of Diagnostic Pa-

diology, 334, Hvidovre Hospi-

tal, DK-2650 Hvidovre. Den-

mark.

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342 RadioGraphlcs #{149}March, 1989 #{149}Volume 9, Number 2

In Madame Curie’s laboratory, radiumwas further purified, its atomic weightestablished, and standards ofmeasurement evaluated. France, 0.60f, 1967.

For these studies, Marie Curie wasawarded her second Nobel Prize in19 11, this time in chemistry. Sweden,85ore, 1971.

Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize diploma wasemployed to commemorate the 100thanniversary of her birth. Poland, 60 gr,1967.

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In 191 4, the Radium Institute in Pariswas built for Madame Curie for hercontinued studies of radioactivity.Korea, lOch, 1984.

At the Radium Institute’s department ofradiation biology and radium therapy,Madame Curie was engaged in theapplication of radium to cure cancer.India, 20 p, 1968.

Later, Madame Curie dedicated muchof her time to public relations work tocreate resources for the propagation ofthe radium treatment. Central AfricanRepublic, 100 f, 1968.

Marie Curie, almost blinded bycataracts, died in 1934 of anaplasticanemia, a victim of her contribution tothe welfare of mankind. San Manino,601, 1982.

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344 RadloGraphics #{149}March, 1989 #{149}Volume 9, Number 2

Radiological Equipment

(Above)About this x-ray tube with 3 electrodes from 1896,Roentgen said “I use a concave mirror of aluminum ascathode and a piece of platinum foil, which turned 45#{176}tothe mirror axis, constitutes the anode.” The cathode is tothe left and the anticathode to the right. The anode formsan angle of 45#{176}to the axis of the tube (2).(Below)This early set up of an x-ray tube and an electron imageintensifier demonstrates the technical development thathad taken place since Roentgen’s discovery. Sharjah anddependencies, 3 np & 3 np, 1965.

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Postage stamps areagainst tuberculosis. In these two settingsthe doctor is examining the patient’s chest byfluoroscopy. Taiwan, 40 c, 1953. Hungary,30f1, 1951.

Praestholm St al. Radiology on postage stamps

Volume 9, Number 2 #{149}March, 1989 #{149}RadloOraphics 345

The Siregraph from Siemens is afluoroscopy apparatus with thex-ray tube above the table.Notice that tilting of the tableand abdominal compression areremotely controlled. GermanFederal Republic, 60 pf, 1975.

Basic radiodiagnostic units being operated byradiographers are the subjects of stamps celebrating thenational independence of Uganda, 1 s, 1962, and Zambia,id, 1964.

An identical screen imagingtechnique is probably shown inthis realistic interior. Vietnam, 3p + 50 c, 1960.

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346 RadioGraphlcs #{149}March, 1989 #{149}Volume 9, Number 2

Informative drawings madepeople familiar with x-raytechnique. Nigeria, 45 k, 1982.

Mobile x-ray units have beenextensively used in the fight againsttuberculosis. Note the registrationdesk outside in the shadow and thetechnician receiving the client indoors.Republic of Mali, 5 f, 1965.

Even children are prepared fortheir chest radiographs by apostage stamp. Turkey, 25 k,1957.

instructive drawings preparepeople for the smoothimplementation of a massexamination. Korea, 40 h, 1961.

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This modern vehicle is stillequipped for chest x-rayexaminations. This stamp wasissued before mobile units for CT,MRI and mammography appeared.Ryukyu Islands, 3 C, 1967.

Accelerators and cobalt bombs are mounted on a rotatinggantry assuring accurate localization ofthe beam to the tumorwhich is placed at the isocenter. Japan, 15 y + 5 y, 1966 and7y+3y, 1966.

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Cobalt-60 emits gamma raysequivalent to x-rays generated atabout 2.5 million volts. Shown hereis the treatment head of a cobaltunit with a collimator. Albania, 80q, 1966.

Teletherapy with radioactiveisotopes was made possible bythe introduction of radioactivecobalt. Turkey, 100 k, 1972.

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Equipment for radiotherapy is also shown onstamps. This apparatus has an evacuatedtube with a source of electrons at one endand a target at the other. Energies equivalentto 4-8 million volts, and more, are generatedin such linear accelerators (3). iran, 2 r,1976.

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Radiology on postage stamps

Radiation treatment with the cobalt bomb isthe subject ofthis anticancer campaign.Indonesia, 20 r + 10 r & 30 r + 15 r, 1965.

Praestholm et al.

More allegorical is this graphicrepresentation of the radiationtreatment of cancer. Mauritania,lOOf, 1965.

The microscope, a pencil of rays and a

pierced crab are the symbols of cancerdetection and treatment in this campaign.The Netherlands, 7 c + 5 c & 10 c + 5 c,1955.

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Radiological Examinations

The hand was the firstpartof the human body to beexamined by Roentgen’s new rays. Bones and joints wereideal subjects because of the absorption of the x rays bythe heavy bones. Republic of Maldives, 2 r & 50 I, 1977.

Air gave the lungs equally goodcontrast characteristics.Bahamas, 16 C, 1982.

A postage stamp the size of a micofilmclearly demonstrates right upper lobepulmonary tuberculosis. Pakistan, 1 r,1982.

The interpretation of the examination isrecorded for the medical record.Ghana, 15 p, 1973.

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Algiers. Note, the small intestines, too,are visualized by barium sulphate.Algerio,2d, 1981.

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Radiology on postage stamps Praestholm St al.

Barium sulphate is the contrastmedium used for demonstrating thecolon on this postage stamp whichannounced a congress of proctology inPunta del Este. Uruguay, 10 c, 1963.

The Portuguese neurosurgeon, EgosMoniz ( 1874-1 955) invented carotidarteniography. From 1924 on, heexperimented with solutions of salts ofbromine, lithium, strontium, and otherelements as contrast media (4).Portugal, 50 c, 1966. Portugal, 1 e 50,1974.

in 1927, Egas Moniz wrote “In thatunforgetabie hour, that afternoon of June28th, all the attentions were drawn upon theexamination of the first arteriography. . . . Inthe film one could see the cerebral vessels,though deformed due to the presence of thetumour.” Portugal, 10 e, 1974.

Egos Moniz was awarded theNobel Prize in Medicine in 1947.Portugal 3, 30 e, 1974.

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An aortocervical angiogram and a stylizedcerebral arteniogram have since explainedvascular anatomy more clearly to lay people.Denmark, 4. 10 kr, 1988. indonesia, 100 r,1978.

But suitable intravenous contrast media were still notavailable at the time of Moniz’ pioneering work. it is aremarkable coincidence that two of the greatestradiological developments were reported for the first timein the same issue ofthe journal Klinische Wochenschrift in1929: Swick’s paper on the first iodinated water solublecontrast medium, Uroselectan, and Forssmann’s paper onthe catheterization of the heart (5). Republic of Maldives,1 I, 1977.

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Starting in 1931 , the benzenecarrier of iodine. The sodium saltbenzoic acid was introduced in 1954 as Hypaque orUrografin (5). Thirty-five years later, benzene is still theskeleton of modern contrast media. The benzene ringstructure was determined by the German chemist AugustKekule (1829-1896) in 1865. Kekule wascommemorated on the 150th anniversary of his birth(top) and at the centenary of his publication of thebenzene formula. German Democratic Republic, 25 pf,1979. German Federal Republic, 10 pf, 1964. Belgium, 3f, 1966.

References

1. Curie E. Madame Curie. Paris: Gallimard. 1938.2. Ronne P. Nielsen ABW. Development of the ion x-ray tube. Acta Histor-

ica Sci Naturallum et Medicinalium 1986; vol 35.3. Mantell BS. The technical aspects of radiotherapy. In: Hope-Stone HF,

ed. Radiotherapy In modern clinical practice. London: Crosby Lock-wood Staples. 1976.

4. daSilva MM. Catalogue of the intinerant exhibition of the work of EgasMoniz and Reynaldo dos Santos. 2d ed. Lisbon: Portuguese Society ofRadiology and Nuclear Medicine, 1987.

5, Gralnger PG. Intravascular contrast media-the past. the present andthe future. Br J Radlol 1982; 55:1-18.