During the last part of the 17th century, a curious thing happened. Folks began to distrust medicine, which was becoming more and more complex and hard to understand while embracing cures that were based on new and emerging science. This period saw the rise of radioactive remedies based on radioactive isotopes like radium.
There were Radione tablets for energy, a radium emanator from Zimmer laboratory, meant to be immersed in water, and a products called the Revigator watercooler, for example. Many of the radioactive health products were actually fraudulent in that they didn’t actually emit the amount of radiation they promised to. A few, products, however, did. Radior, not to be confused with Radithor, was advertised heavily as a beauty product or “Toilet Requesite.”
Radithor, “Certified Radioactive Water,” manufactured by Bailey Radium Laboratories, Inc., of East Orange, New Jersey, claimed to contain radium and mesotheorium in triple distilled water. It wasn’t sold as a medical treatment or cure, but rather as a nonmedical restorative tonic. It was “not a drug; not a patent medicine.” Just as well, since “Dr.” William J. A. Bailey was not a medical doctor.
The product actually did contain large amounts of both radium and thorium. While many products that contained very little if any radioactive products had been shut down by the government, some few of the real thing had been allowed to continue.
Bailey actually challenged anyone to prove that his product did not contain the amounts of radium and thorium he claimed, offering them a $1000 reward. No one ever did. In fact, he was not lying.
The product led to the end of the radiation cure craze. Wealthy playboy Eben Byers, had a three-bottle a day Radithor habit. He died in 1932 after his teeth fell out and his whole upper jaw, excepting two front teeth and most of his lower jaw had been removed. It was also said that his bones were disintegrating and there were holes in his skull.
His death caused the FDA, which had been formed in 1906, to insist that radioactive health products provide proof of their safety and effectiveness. This was, of course, impossible, so the industry all but dies. A few products with very low levels of radiation continued to be sold into the 1960s, however.
Bailey was quite confused about the relationship between radiation and zombies. He actually thought his product was “A cure for the living dead.” Everyone knows that radiation creates zombies instead of curing them.
After the Federal Trade Commission stopped Bailey from selling his radithor, he went right on peddling other radiation products. He found the “Radium Institute” and sold products such as a radioactive belt-clip, a radioactive paperweight, and a water irradiator.