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In 1936, almost 4 decades after the discovery of the x-ray and of radium, the German Rontgen Society erected a monument to commemorate all who had died as a consequence of exposure to x-rays or radium. George WC. Kaye of the US National Physical Laboratory wrote the inscription: "To the rontgenologists and radiologists of all nations, doctors, physicists, chemists, technical workers, laboratory workers, and hospital sisters who gave their lives in the struggle against the diseases of mankind. They were heroic leaders in the development of the successful and safe use of x-rays and radium in medicine. Immortal is the glory of the work of the dead."
One hundred years ago, on Dec. 26, 1898, Marie Curie, Pierre Curie and Gustave Bemont announced their discovery of a chemical element that would revolutionize medicine: "Les diverses raisons que nous venons d'enumerer nous portent a croire que la nouvelle substance radioactive renferme un element nouveau, auquel nous proposons de donner le nom de radium. La nouvelle substance radioactive renferme certainement une tres grande proportion de baryum: malgre cela, la radioactivite est considerable. La radioactivite du radium doit donc etre enorme."1 The discovery of radium came only 5 months after the Curies had announced the existence of another previously unknown element, which they named "polonium, du nom du pays d'origine de l'un de nous."2
Four years after the discovery of radium, Marie Curie reported its atomic weight.3 This was the result of a very labour-intensive endeavour. The isolation of 1 gram of pure radium had required the handling and processing of 8 tons of pitchblende ore. In handling this enormous amount, Marie and Pierre Curie unknowingly exposed themselves continuously to radioactivity; they contaminated their food and clothes with radium and inhaled radon, the gaseous by-product of decaying uranium and radium. It is therefore not surprising that they both complained of fatigue and ill health. In addition, Mme Curie grew thinner by several kilograms. These changes did not go unnoticed by their friends: "J'ai ete frappe, en voyant Mme Curie a la Societe de Physique, de l'alteration de ses traits."4 Nevertheless, Mme Curie gave birth to 2 healthy daughters as well as leaving a remarkable scientific legacy.5,6 She went on to receive 2 Nobel prizes - one in physics...