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Wave-Length Effect in the Reaction of Human Skin to X- and Gamma-Radiation

Abstract

THE quantitative variation with wave-length of the reaction of human skin to X- and γ-radiation is of both clinical and biological importance. Of especial interest is the determination of the ratio of the biologically equivalent doses, appropriately measured in röntgens, of X-radiation of effective wavelength 110–170 X.U. and of γ-radiation of wave-length 10–20 X.U. It is an accepted clinical observation that the dose of X-radiation equivalent in the production of skin erythema to 1 r. unit of γ-radiation is less than unity, and recent work1 suggests a value of the order 1/1·3. However, in this and most other studies, the depth dose distribution was very different for the two radiations.

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MITCHELL, J. Wave-Length Effect in the Reaction of Human Skin to X- and Gamma-Radiation. Nature 145, 105–106 (1940). https://doi.org/10.1038/145105a0

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