The steel tycoon was bedridden for the last years and suffered a slow and painful end on March 31, 1932, at 51. Eben received his terminal diagnosis weeks before he passed. His condition was so bad that his tissue was surgically removed, leaving the hole in his head open. Eben even developed holes in his skull and abscesses in his brain. The bones in the rest of his body were also deteriorating, disintegrating while he was still alive. This condition became known as “Radium Jaw.”
Of the notable adverse effects Radium had on Eben, the worst was the loss of his entire lower jaw and most of his upper jaw. People were fascinated by his story and followed his every move.
As his health continued to decline, he became a national headline. The Unfortunate Results of Eben’s Radithor RegimenĮben Byers was one of the most public cases of Radium poisoning. By the time Eben stopped taking Radithor, he had consumed more than three times the lethal dose of Radium. Soon, Radithor users suffered from “Radium poisoning” and various illnesses due to the drink. When he stopped taking the radioactive water supplement, the FDA realized that radiation was not beneficial to the human body and was causing terrible side effects like cancer. It turns out that what was happening to Eben and anyone else who ingested Radithor was horrifying than anyone could have imagined. Much to his dismay, Eben mentioned that he wasn’t feeling like himself and didn’t feel like the young man he used to be.
His teeth began to fall out, he had trouble speaking, and he felt pain all over his body.Ĭoncerned for his health, the former athlete told his doctor about sudden weight loss and headaches. Unfortunately, Radium became very harmful as regulators soon realized it was already doing terrible things to Eben’s body.Īfter years of drinking Radithor, Eben Byers started to experience severe health problems. In addition, Eben sent the product to his business colleagues and girlfriends so they could also enjoy the benefits. The steel mogul trusted Radithor so much that he increased his dose by drinking approximately 1,400 bottles of the drink during the time he used it. He claimed that the concoction would cure impotence and other ailments.Īt the time, Bailey offered doctors a 17% commission on every dose prescribed to patients. Bailey created this “cure-all” by dissolving radioactive isotopes of Radium into distilled water. It was said to have health benefits, and many people began to drink it. In the early 1900s, this became very popular. Radithor was a radioactive drink containing Radium patented by William J.A. But unfortunately, Eben would learn about his deadly mistake. He felt so great that he self-medicated and increased his dose rapidly, taking a whole bottle at a time.Īt the time, Radithor wasn’t regulated, and officials were unaware of any ill effects of radiation on the human body. Eben enjoyed pain relief for a short time and reportedly felt great. The doctor prescribed him a small spoon per day for the pain. A medic recommended that Eben try Radithor, a new “miracle cure” at the time, and had many supposed benefits. Then, during one of his matches, he injured his arm and was in a lot of pain. Not long after that, his father made him president of his company, Girard Iron Company.Įben had everything going for him in life until 1927. His background afforded him many opportunities, and he was able to graduate from Yale University.Įben was also an established athlete and won many Golf championships in the early 1900s. Eben Byers’ story is a tragic one and serves as a warning to us all about the dangers of radiation poisoning.Įben Byers was born in April of 1880 to a wealthy family. When ingested, it can cause severe health problems, including cancer. What is Radium, and what does it do? It is a radioactive element discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and her husband, Pierre.
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