title: [Mild radium therapy: radiation medicine-, life-, body- and personal hygiene remedies in the first half of the 20th century].
abstract: During the first half of the 20th century numerous drugs, foodstuffs and cosmetics were brought on the market, whose supposed effects were explained with their weak radioactivity. Their subtle radiation was believed to stimulate the vital forces of the body, thus leading to recovery from illness, or to an improvement in beauty and to rejuvenation. Among others, bath and drinking waters enriched with radioactive materials were advertised for this purpose. The then known radioactive medicines included preparations of healing earth, the so-called Salus-Oil, the TRUW preparations, and "Radithor", which was popular in the United States. There were also radioactive foodstuffs (butter, chocolate, rusk) and cosmetics. This mild radiotherapy may be characterised as a form of bio-dynamistic healing.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Geschichte der Pharmazie, Philipps-Universität, Marburg. helmstaedter@govi.de
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helmstädter
mesh_terms: D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000266:history*; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques / Q000266:history*; D004035:Diet Therapy / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D038622:Internationality; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods; D011883:Radium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D011883:Radium