Talk:Joseph Gilbert Hamilton

Photo caption

On 16 November 2011‎ Lcyarris changed the caption of the photo showing Hamilton drinking the solution to Robert Marshak (left), a scientist and author of Menson Physics volunteered to drink radiosodium. Joseph Gilbert Hamilton at controls, January 1939. The US government photo is from the Berkeley Lab photo archives, which asserts that it is Hamilton doing the drinking. Description: Joseph Hamilton drinking radiosodium in January 1939 and R. Marshak (right). Soon after he began his search for useful radioisotopes, Lawrence had the good luck to make sodium-24 efficiently by bombarding rock salt with deuterons. The new substance runs through the body like ordinary sodium; its convenient half-life, fifteen hours, made it useful in diagnosis and therapy. "My medical friends tell me that the properties of radiosodium are almost ideal for many medical applications, such as the treatment of cancer." Lawrence predicted that sodium-24 would supersede radium, and to make sure he promoted it on a national lecture tour. A volunteer-the first two were Alvarez and Joseph Hamilton of the University's hospital in San Francisco-would down a solution of the isotope, and Lawrence would track its course through his body. Lawrence received fresh supplies of sodium-24 by air mail just in time for these lectures, which increased the drama, and the value, of radioisotopes. (The preceding information was excerpted from the text of the Fall 1981 issue of LBL Newsmagazine.) Citation Caption: LBL NEWS Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 3, Fall 1981, p. 25 | Joseph Hamilton drinking radiosodium, 1939; at right is R. Marshak. "LBNL Image Library -- Collection Berkeley-Lab/People/Individuals: Joseph Hamilton drinking radiosodium". However, the caption for this photo, which appears to be a different angle on the same scene, reads 39. Joseph Hamilton (left) conducting one of the first isotope metabolism studies during the 1930s. The study took place at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (now Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory). That photo is from Human Radiation Experiments: The Department of Energy Roadmap to the Story and the Records. Nevertheless, this photo of Robert Marshak seems to match the man at the controls. While this photo from the Berkeley Lab, shows Hamilton in front, second from left, and seems to match the drinker. Hence, I have used the 1981 data as more accurate. --Bejnar (talk) 16:35, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

See also this photo captioned William Brobeck (left), former Associate Director of the University of California Lawrence Berkeley Radiation Laboratory; and the Dr. Joseph G. Hamilton, former Director of the Crocker Laboratory. Date: circa 1950. But to the contrary see this photo captioned: Description: middle age; profile; standing; equipment. Left, Dr. Joseph G. Hamilton, former Director of the Crocker Laboratory at the University of California Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory; and Dr. Bernard Rossi, physicist in the Crocker Laboratory at the control panel of the 60-inch cyclotron. Date: circa 1950 --Bejnar (talk) 16:53, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Here is another entitled Joseph Hamilton radiosodium experiment. Notice the fuller head of hair, still receding though. --Bejnar (talk) 17:48, 31 May 2012 (UTC)