What Were They Drinking? by Scott LaFee - Eureka! on Creators.com

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What Were They Drinking?

Back in the late 19th century before people knew better, it was thought the recent discovery of radioactivity was a harbinger of good health to come. All manner of dubious medical devices and treatments were concocted to expose people to the beneficial qualities of radiation, everything from toothpaste to suppositories.

Among the most famous was the Revigator, an earthenware vessel that reportedly infused drinking water with "the lost element of original freshness — radioactivity." The Radium Ore Revigator Co. sold several hundred thousand of the glazed ceramic jugs between 1920 and the mid-1930s, each lined with clay containing carnotite ore, a mineral that released radon into the water and air. The company claimed the radiation could treat or cure ailments from arthritis and flatulence to senility and poisoning.

How dangerous was the Revigator? Researchers Lee Yu and Michael Epstein of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with students from Mount Saint Mary's University in Maryland, conducted experiments. They found that radon levels in water stored in the Revigator for one week were alarmingly high, but compared with other disease-related causes of mortality, the radon-infused water was a relatively low-level threat. More dangerous were toxic elements likely to leach into the water, among them: arsenic, lead, vanadium and uranium.

"For me, it was quite interesting that people at the time were drinking something that they didn't understand, given all that we now know about how harmful these things are to human health," said Yu. "It's amazing to me how eager companies were to commercialize new discoveries without a clear understanding of the risks involved."

Perhaps some things haven't changed as much as we think.

BRAIN SWEAT

One letter is missing from the end of this series of letters, what is it?

A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, U, ?

PATENTLY ABSURD

Maybe it was a hot day.

Or maybe the inventor had had one too many. Whatever the story, the result was the "beerbrella," a clip-on cover for that bottle of brew quaffed under the sun. The tiny umbrella pivots to allow easy access, then pivots back to provide cooling shade for your bottle o' suds.

BRAIN SWEAT ANSWER

The missing letter is W. These are the 12 letters of the Hawaiian alphabet.

PRIME NUMBERS

50 million — Estimated age at which the Sierra Nevada reached its current height, 30 million years earlier than previously believed.

Source: Michael Hren, University of Michigan

ANTHROPOLOGY 101

That fabulously heavy, black eye makeup sported by Queen Nefertiti and other ancient Egyptians may have provided more than just a stunning royal gaze. Researchers now suggest the lead-based cosmetics also doubled as infection-fighters, treating and maybe even preventing some eye diseases. Modern science has shown that some components of the cosmetics, such as nitric oxide, are stimulants to the body's immune system.

Eye infections would have been common in the tropical, marshy areas of the Nile River delta during floods. Researchers suggest the eye makeup may have helped Egyptians both look good and feel much better.

WHAT IS IT? ANSWER

Magnified image of a mosquito head with parasitic water mite attached.

Produced by Ralph Grimm of Jimboomba, Australia, and an honorable mention winner in the 2009 Olympus BioScapes International Digital Imaging Competition.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.