The red goggles shown above were used until the 1960s. What was their purpose?
The answer will be added to this post mid February.
Mike Collins
The red goggles shown above were used until the 1960s. What was their purpose?
The answer will be added to this post mid February.
Mike Collins
The “Mystery Object” is a pair of red adaptation goggles
Red goggles were used by radiologists to aid dark adaptation prior to fluoroscopy in the era before image intensifiers were introduced. They were originally developed by Wilhelm Trendelenburg, a German physiologist in 1916. The early fluoroscopic screens were crude giving poor visualisation and requiring the radiologist to work in almost complete darkness. Wearing red goggles prior to fluoroscopic procedures allowed the retinal rods to be sensitised and reduced the length of time taken to adapt to darkness. Image intensifiers linked to TV cameras were introduced in the 1950’s eliminating the need for red goggles.
It was known that some radiologists wore red goggles whilst driving between hospitals in order to reduce the length of time taken for dark adaptation!
And one radiologist in Exeter used to come in to lunch in the 1970s wearing his goggles. He seemed to be able to see what he was doing but no doubt the colour of the food was a bit distorted and perhaps all looked the same.