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Purple Glass Radium Vial

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Description
This test tube was removed from a display of objects (see 1993.0262.13) donated to the New York Academy of Medicine by Dr. Robert Abbe [b. April 13, 1851; d. March 7, 1928], a surgeon and early proponent of radium therapy. Abbe described this and a similar test tube (1993.0262.15) in the display as, "Amethyst colored glass tubes caused by holding RADIUM and due to oxidization of the manganese in the glass." These tubes were likely clear to begin with. To produce "colorless" glass, manufacturers often added manganese dioxide, which reacted with iron impurities in the sand used to make the glass. This oxidation of iron can be reversed with radiation, returning the manganese to the oxidized state, which will tint glass purple.
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.
Abbe, R., “Radium and Radio-Activity," Yale Medical Journal 10 (1904) p. 436-447.
Gibson, C., "Robert Abbe 1851-1928," Annals of Surgery 88 (1928) p. 794-797.
Stark, R., "Robert Abbe: Pioneer in Plastic Surgery," Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med. 31 (1955) p. 927-950.
Solarized Glass, Corning Museum of Glass (web) https://www.cmog.org/article/solarized-glass
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of New York Academy of Medicine, through Steven A. Pelovitz, Vice President for Management and Fiscal Affairs
ID Number
1993.0262.14
catalog number
1993.0262.14
accession number
1993.0262
Object Name
Vial
Other Terms
Vial; Container; Vial
Physical Description
glass (overall material)
blue (overall color)
glass (overall material)
Measurements
estimated from images: 1 13/16 in x 11/32 in; 4.572 cm x .8382 cm
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Pharmacy
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_1143162
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-c9ba-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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