Five- to Eight-Day Radiation Death in Mice

Abstract

This paper deals with radiation death occurring 5-8 days after whole body irradiation with a few hundred r of X-rays. Such deaths could be instances of slow intestinal death or fast marrow death, or could represent still another mode of radiation death. The latter alternative is chosen on the basis of the following evidence: (1) under favorable conditions, the distribution of survival times shows 1 or 2 strong modes between 5 and 8 days; (2) this death occurs even if the thorax and part of the head are shielded which makes marrow death unlikely; (3) the characteristic pathology of intestinal death is not found.