Accordingly,IproposedtotheHealthServicetoaddadepartmentofradiologytotheNurses'SchoolwhichhadjustbeenfoundedattheEdithCavellHospital.Thistheyagreedtodo.Andso,in,thecoursewasorganizedattheRadiumInstitute,andprovidedinthefollowingyearsofwarforthetrainingofonehundredandfiftyoperators.Mostofthepupilswhoappliedhadonlyanelementaryeducation,butcouldsucceedifworkinginaproperway.Thecoursecomprisedtheoreticalstudiesandveryextendedpracticaltraining;itincludedalsosomeinstructioninanatomy.Itwasgivenbyafewpersonsofgoodwill,amongthemmydaughter.OurgraduatesformedanexcellentpersonnelverygenuinelyappreciatedbytheBoardofHealth.Theoretically,theyweresupposedtoserveasaidestophysicians,butseveralofthemprovedcapableofindependentwork.
Mycontinuedandvariousexperienceinwarradiologygavemeawideknowledgeofthatsubject,whichIfeltshouldbemademorefamiliartothepublic.SoIwroteasmallbookcalled"RadiologyandtheWar,"inwhichIaimedtodemonstratethevitalimportanceofradiologyandtocompareitsdevelopmentduringwartimewithitsuseintheprevioustimeofpeace.
IcomenowtotheaccountofthefoundingoftheserviceofradiumtherapyattheRadiumInstitute.
In,theradium,whichhadbeensafelydepositedinBordeaux,wasbroughtbacktoParis,andnothavingtimeforregularscientificresearch,Idecidedtouseittocurethewounded,without,however,riskingthelossofthispreciousmaterial.IproceededtoplaceatthedisposaloftheHealthServicenottheradiumitself,buttheemanationwhichcanbeobtainedfromitatregularintervals.Thetechniqueoftheuseoftheemanationcanreadilybeemployedinthelargerradiumtherapyinstitutes,and,inmanyways,ismorepracticablethanthedirectuseofradium.InFrance,however,there,wasnonationalinstituteofradiumtherapy,andtheemanationwasnotusedinhospitals.
IofferedtofurnishregularlytotheHealthServicebulbsofradiumemanation.Theoffer,wasaccepted,andthe"EmanationService,"startedin,wascontinueduntiltheendofthewarandevenlonger.Havingnoassistants,Ihad,foralongtime,topreparetheseemanationbulbsalone,andtheirpreparationisverydelicate.Numbersofwoundedandsick,militaryandcivil,weretreatedbymeansofthesebulbs.
DuringthebombardmentofParis,theHealthBoardtookspecialmeasurestoprotectfromshellsthelaboratoryinwhichthebulbswereprepared.Sincethehandlingofradiumisfarfrombeingfreeofdanger(severaltimesIhavefeltadiscomfortwhichIconsideraresultofthiscause),measuresweretakentopreventharmfuleffectsoftheraysonthepersonspreparingemanation.
Whiletheworkinconnectionwiththehospitalsremainedmymajorinterest,Ihadmanyotherpreoccupationsduringthewar.
AfterthefailureoftheGermanoffensiveinthesummerof,attherequestoftheItaliangovernment,IwenttoItalytostudythequestionofhernaturalresourcesinradioactivematerials.Iremainedamonthandwasabletoobtaincertainresultsininterestingthepublicauthoritiesintheimportanceofthisnewsubject.
ItwasinthatIhadtomovemylaboratorytothenewbuildingintheruePierreCurie.Thiswasatryingandcomplicatedexperience,forwhich,oncemore,Ihadnomoneynoranyhelp.SoitwasonlybetweenmyjourneysthatIwasable,littlebylittle,todothetransportationofmylaboratoryequipment,inmyradiologiccars.Afterwards,Ihadmuchworkinclassifyinganddistributingmymaterials,andarrangingthenewplaceingeneral,withthehelpofmydaughterandofmymechanic,who,unfortunately,wasoftenill.