In fact there was a patented medicine called Radithor manufactured in none other than New Jersey from 1918-1928 that contained high levels of radium (triple distilled water containing at a minimum 1 microcurie (37 kBq) each of the radium 226 and 228 isotopes.) It was advertised as 'A Cure for the Living Dead' (hmm....) as well as 'Perpetual Sunshine' (well, the sun does give off x-ray radiation during solar flares, or so I've read.)
And Radithor was not the only preparation of it's ilk.
Did they get this from radioactive sheep or what?
(seems a number of these products are German)
Radium Ore Revigator
Anyway, between all this radiation, as well as lead poisoning and god only knows what else, I'm surprised we've made it this far as a species. Then again, maybe we haven't and only think, or are death-dreaming we have.
And for those who collect antiques like my mom, BEWARE! Read this-
Vaseline
It is cool, though, and it does fluoresce under black light.
EPA article on Radioactive Antiques
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Were Radioactive
Radioactive Quack Cures
In 1951, Gilbert released an “Atomic Energy Lab,” which contained three “very low-level” radioactive sources (alpha, beta, and gamma particles), a U-239 Geiger counter, a Wilson cloud chamber, a spinthariscope, four samples of uranium-bearing ores, and an electroscope to measure radioactivity.
And as adults we're still playing with it in the form of weaponry and as a power source....
*sigh*
I leave you with this, on a much lighter note, I heard it on the RADIO while ACTIVE. (yeah, that was a really bad pun, I should be ashamed.
But I'm not :)