Radium ore Revigator

Uncommon card · No. 169329

The radium ore Revigator was a pseudoscientific medical device consisting of a ceramic water crock lined with radioactive materials. It was patented in 1912 by R. W. Thomas. Thomas was working at the time as a stock salesman in Arizona but, by 1923, had moved to southern California to begin manufacture of his patent. In 1924, following several successful advertisement campaigns that left him unable to keep up with demand, he sold his operation to Dow-Herriman Pump & Machinery Company, selling thousands of the devices in the 1920s and 1930s. The Revigator was intended to be filled with water overnight, which would be irradiated by the uranium and radium in the liner, and then consumed the next day. The manufacturer provided the following instructions: "Fill jar every night. Drink freely … when thirsty and upon arising and retiring, average six or more glasses daily." This was marketed as a healthy practice which could prevent illnesses including arthritis, flatulence, and senility. The...

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