title: The role of x-rays in the treatment of gas gangrene: a historical assessment.
abstract: While the use of x-rays to treat patients with gas gangrene ended in the early 1940's with the advent of antibiotics, x-ray had been widely accepted as a useful and highly effective treatment for this condition. The present paper re-assesses the historical foundations of this belief, the quality of the data, use of confirmatory animal models, and underlying mechanisms that might account for the therapeutic role of x-rays in the treatment of gas gangrene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dhawan
keywords: dose-response; gas gangrene; history of medicine; hormesis; x-ray