Friday, August 2, 2013

Feet That Glow in the Dark

A little radiation never hurt anyone.

Unless you're a child and it's your feet and you grow a crazy mutant toe.

While in Phoenix, my mother in law pointed out her feet while we were discussing shoes and specifically her 2nd toe. (You know, the piggy that stayed home.) On her right foot, it was much longer than any of her other toes and it was twisted and crooked. She said it was because when she was a kid, when her mom would take them shopping, her and her siblings would always run to the shoe store and stick their feet into the fluoroscope at the front of the store.

What the hell is a fluoroscope? This.

Isn't that just the coolest looking thing-a-ma-bob? I want one.

Back in the 20's (and all the way through to the 70's in some places) these bad boys were installed in shoe stores. You stand on it, stick your feet inside and flip the switch to see how well your feet fit inside your new Buster Browns. And it was great for checking for broken bones, since you could see your bones. So it was pretty obvious that this thing was puking xrays all over your feet/body and after the big bomb and cold war, the use of such devices declined heavily. Also, some experience radiation burns. (One salesman had it so bad it resulted in amputation.) Most though, did not suffer ill effects.

I'm not so sure the fluoroscope gave her that crazy mutant piggy, but it's a fun story. I wonder if it glows in the dark...

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Check out more at the Smithsonian's website, along with other really amazing things... Don't you just love museums??

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