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Records Series Descriptions
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory


Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) 
 
   SERIES TITLE     Thornton Sargent Patient Medical Case Files 
 
  INCLUSIVE DATES   1959 1994 
 
  ARRANGEMENT  Study  Patient name 
 
  VOLUME  17 cubic feet 
 
  DESCRIPTION  This series contains patient case files relating 
               to Sargent's studies using radioisotopes  in human 
               subjects to study physiologic processes. The files 
               include raw data measurements and medical 
               evaluation of subjects for the following studies: 
               studies of  calcium/strontium metabolism in 
               patients with acromegaly and bone cancer (1964 
               1969); cobalt studies of subjects with B12 
               deficiency v. normal subjects; chromium-51  
               studies of subjects with diabetes and 
               hemochromatosis (1970s); iron studies of  patients 
               injected with thorotrast to compare iron 
               absorption in normal v. iron deficient  subjects; 
               brain metabolism studies using iodine-122, filed 
               by type of patient, e.g.,  depression, 
               schizophrenia; brain imaging studies using bromine 
               isotope for brain  scanning on laboratory 
               personnel, and zinc studies of mostly normal 
               subjects (mid-1960s). Patient records note name, 
               weight, height, date of birth, employee number,  
               work location, phone, date and results of urine 
               bioassay test, dates of whole body  counts, 
               calculation of actual exposure, spectra of 
               detected activity in both tabular and  graphic 
               forms, list of isotopes with which employee 
               regularly works, patient's uptake  level (if 
               known), and suspected location of exposure, and 
               either referral letter from  outside physician or 
               from Environmental Health & Safety Division of 
               LBL. There are  also records for patients, 
               referred by outside physicians, who may have been 
               exposed  to dangerous levels of radiation (e.g., 
               as a result of Chernobyl nuclear reactor 
               accident). Records of experimental exposures note 
               isotope used, amount injected, daily  counts, and 
               final analysis. 
 
  RESTRICTIONS This series contains privacy material.  
 
LOCATION OF  RECORDS   
 
               Donner Laboratory   
               LBL Archives and Records Office   
               Berkeley, CA 94720