How do dogs accumulate fallout isotopes in their bodies? This question was answered effectively by placing dogs in whole body counters and comparing the count from radioactive strontium-emitted gamma rays originating in their bodies with the count from a masonite phantom dog containing a known amount of radioactive strontium-85. It was found that female dogs increase their strontium retention while they are nursing newborn puppies. Strontium is much like calcium, which is a major component of milk. One dog measured had broken a leg in a fight. The counter showed above-average strontium accumulation for this dog, and it was conjectured that strontium, a “bone-seeking” element, had followed calcium to the point of bone repair and new bone growth. [Illustration: Figure 21 _A wild deer under a whole body counter._] [Illustration: Figure 22 _Graph of whole body counter survey of four different animal species, showing differences in their retention of orally administered radioactive zinc-65._] Showing RETENTION, % versus TIME, DAYS for Man, Dog, Rat, Mouse Figure 22 shows how animals differ in their retention of orally administered zinc-65, as revealed by a whole body counter. It is apparent that counters can be used to determine the differences in the metabolism of different animal species used for research. Standard data developed in this way can serve to reduce error that may occur if results from one species are used for interpretation of data for another species, such as man. A University of Illinois project to breed meat animals with a high lean-to-fat ratio has been aided by whole body counters. The tendency to deposit fat seems to be inherited, and breeding stock with low fat content can be selected, using “muscle-seeking” potassium-40 to show the proportion of muscle in each potential parent. The Illinois counter is unique in being large enough to examine an adult steer (Figure 23). A similar counter at Cornell University has been used to study animals infested with internal parasites, comparing them with parasite-free animals. The counter revealed that a positive relationship exists between the level of parasite infestation and loss of iron-59-labeled blood from the digestive tract. The possibility of using this method to evaluate parasite-killing drugs is being considered. The Cornell counter is kept clean by covering the animals with plastic sheeting. The same counter also can serve human patients, who are positioned in a wheeled hospital stretcher. (See Figure 1D.) CONCLUSION This booklet has presented a sample of the ways whole body counters add to man’s knowledge and increase his ability to manage conditions and processes important to his health and well-being. Radioactive substances occur naturally within our own bodies and all other materials. Whole body counters measure this radioactivity, or any which may have been added from artificial sources.