Display Case for Radium Objects Related to the Work of Dr. Marie Curie and Dr. Robert Abbe
notes: label: Description
content: Dr. Robert Abbe [b. April 13, 1851; d. March 7, 1928] a surgeon and early proponent of radium therapy, presented this display to the New York Academy of Medicine. It once held a glass ampoule (see 1993.0262.03) that was claimed to contain a remnant of "radium-barium-chloride" obtained from the laboratory of Marie Curie in 1903, another glass ampoule containing "weak radium" (see 1993.0262.02), and two test tubes (see 1993.0262.14 and 1993.0262.15) colored purple from exposure to radium. The radium ampoules (now removed) discolored and burned the paper in the display. In 1993, the New York Academy of Medicine donated this display, along with other objects associated with Abbe's radium work, to the Smithsonian.
label: Description
content: In 1903, Dr. Abbe started experimenting with radium on seeds, animals, himself, and patients, becoming one of the first American physicians to do so. He found success in treating some abnormal growths and cancers, publishing his findings and becoming an authority in the field of radiotherapy. Abbe was a surgeon at St. Luke's Hospital in New York. Near the end of his life, Abbe suffered from the effects of aplastic anemia, likely caused by years of radium exposure, requiring regular blood transfusions.
label: Description
content: Transcription display front:
label: Description
content: "Ashes, with a small remnant of radium recovered from a fireplace after burning surgical dressings...This radium (measuring 1 milligram) is the remnant of the historic 150 milligrams RADIUM-BARIUM-CHLORIDE" SENT by Mme. CURIE TO Dr. ABBE IN 1903. ONE-SEVENTH OF WHAT SHE USED IN CALORIMETRIC TESTS."
label: Description
content: "small tube of weak radium 20 milligrammes [sic] strength 200,000. (3 milligrams pure rad. brom.)"
label: Description
content: “Amethyst colored glass tubes caused by holding RADIUM and due to oxidization of the manganese in the glass.”
label: Description
content: Transcription display back:
label: Description
content: "Presented to the Academy of Medicine
label: Description
content: Museum
label: Description
content: Original radium remnants
label: Description
content: Radium in tubes estimated strength
label: Description
content: as originally received from Mme Curie
label: Description
content: was in Comparison with radio activity of Uranium
label: Description
content: Uranium 1 _ Radium {200 000
label: Description
content: 300 000
label: Description
content: 1000000
label: Description
content: etc
label: Description
content: Later comparisons with pure radium.
label: Description
content: Presented by Dr. Robert Abbe"
label: Description
content: Abbe, R., “Radium and Radio-Activity," Yale Medical Journal 10 (1904) p. 436-447.
label: Description
content: Gibson, C., "Robert Abbe 1851-1928," Annals of Surgery 88 (1928) p. 794-797
label: Description
content: Stark, R., "Robert Abbe: Pioneer in Plastic Surgery," Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med. 31 (1955) p. 927-950.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of New York Academy of Medicine, through Steven A. Pelovitz, Vice President for Management and Fiscal Affairs
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1993.0262.13
label: catalog number
content: 1993.0262.13
label: accession number
content: 1993.0262
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Display Case
label: Object Name
content: display case, radium
label: Other Terms
content: Display Case; Containers
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brown (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall, as stored in box: 10 1/2 in x 8 5/16 in x 3/4 in; 26.67 cm x 21.11375 cm x 1.905 cm