The Shoe Fitting X-ray Machine — The Pedoscope,Many of us probably remember our parents buying

The Shoe Fitting X-ray Machine — The Pedoscope,Many of us probably remember our parents buying shoes for us when we were children.  One technique mom always did was to feel around the shoe to determine how much toe room was in the shoe.  In 1920’s shoemakers and shoe salesmen came up with an easier, more precise method of fitting shoes.  The development of radiology and X-ray technology around the turn of the century opened up a whole new field of medical study.  It also created a number of bad and dangerous devices that went out on the American market.  In the 1920’s one such device was the pedoscope.  The purpose of the pedoscope was to use X-ray technology to view the feet while in shoes, thus allowing shoe salesperson a more accurate way to fit shoes for their customers. The customer would simply slide his or her feet into a slot in the machine while the salesperson viewed the feet from a special viewer.  Thus the salesperson  could see precisely if the feet and toes had enough room within the shoe. Two other portholes allowed the feet to be viewed by the customer or a third party.The pedoscope, and other models of “shoe X-ray fluoroscopes”, became popular by the 1940’s and 1950’s.  By 1960 over 10,000 were sold to the US, while 3,000 were in the UK, 1,500 in Switzerland, and 1,000 in Canada.  It was at this time that the effects of the pedoscope began to be known.  X-rays are a form of dangerous radiation.  That is why when a person has an X-ray taken, the radiologist makes sure the procedure is quick, and that parts of the body not being examined are not unnecessarily exposed.  Continuous exposure to X-rays over time can lead to radiation burns, dermatitis, and cancer.  While it was not much of a problem for a customer to use once in a while, the pedoscope proved very dangerous for shoe salesmen, who were exposed to the radiation over long periods.  Several instances were found of shoe salesmen who had to have their feet amputated due to the effects of X-ray exposure.By the 1970’s most states had passed laws banning the use of shoe X-ray machines. Today they are a rare, highly sought novelty item among antique collectors. -- source link

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