the first book on radioactivity in hungarian

First edition of the first book on radioactivity published in Hungarian. Rare, Worldcat locates only a single institutional copy at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Author Béla Szilárd graduated with a degree in pharmacy from the University of Budapest in 1904. Between 1907 and 1910 he worked at the Curie laboratory in Paris, then spent the First World War at the Instituto de Radioactividad of the University of Madrid, returning to Paris in 1920.

Szilárd 'carried out some experiments on special forensic photography, on the measurement of Roentgen rays, and on the determination of the appropriate doeses for medical applications... he collected data and published a map of the spread of radioactive substancesa round the world' and 'constructed electrometers for specialised usage of radioactive measurememts and performed experiments with them' (Palló, 'Isotope Research Before Isotopy', Hungarian Academy of Science, 2008). It was for this measurement work that Szilard was awarded the Légion d'honor.

'His short book, Radium és Radioaktivitas, the first on radioactivity in the Hungarian language, focused on the description of rays, radioactive substances and their medical applications' (Palló).

First edition; 8vo; diagrams in the text, contemporary ownership ink stamp and inscription to the title, pencilled inscription to the rear pastedown, contents faintly toned; original black pebble-grain cloth, titles to spine and upper board in white, spine a little dulled, cloth very lightly rubbed at the tips, front free endpaper professionally reattached by Bainbridge Conservation, endpapers toned, very good condition; 85pp.