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This edition is dedicated to the readers who will find this
edition useful as this has been the goal of our efforts to
complete this revision, especially an era of COVID where
everything has been more difficult, but new important
knowledge has been emerging and important. I primarily
dedicate this to my co-editor, friend and colleague, Bob
Hendel, who has had such an important role in all four
editions bringing important comments, revisions, and
humor to the process.
G.V.H.

For my colleagues-past, present, and future, who have

provided me with inspiration throughout my career.
Additionally, this book is also dedicated to those “behind
the scenes,” such as our dedicated and passionate
technologists, thoughtful administrators, and
societal/regulatory personnel who help optimize the value
of nuclear cardiology. And of course, to Gary Heller, the
instigator and inspirator for Nuclear Cardiology: Practical
Applications and kayaker extraordinaire.
R.C.H.
 CONTENTS

Contributors

Preface

Section 1. Fundamentals of Nuclear Cardiology

1. Fundamentals of Nuclear Cardiology Physics

C. David Cooke, James R. Galt and E. Lindsey Tauxe

2. Radiation Safety and Protection in Nuclear Cardiology

James R. Galt, C. David Cooke and Jason S. Tavel

3. Radiopharmaceuticals for Cardiovascular Imaging

James A. Case and Gary V. Heller

4. Cardiac SPECT and PET Instrumentation

James A. Case

5. Quality Control in SPECT, Dedicated PET, and Hybrid CT

Imaging
Sue Miller, Sunil Selvin and Joey Stevens

6. Radiation Exposure and Reduction Strategies in

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Michael C. Desiderio and Gary V. Heller

7. Physician Certification and Laboratory Accreditation

Robert C. Hendel and Gursukhman Deep S. Sidhu

Section 2. Radionuclide Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

 8. Exercise and Pharmacologic Stress Testing
Seyed Mehdi Khalafi, Archana Ramireddy and Robert C. Hendel

9. SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Protocols

Milena J. Henzlova, Cole B. Hirschfeld and Andrew J. Einstein

10. Cardiovascular Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging

Matthew J. Memmott, Parthiban Arumugam and Gary V. Heller

11. Myocardial Blood Flow Quantitation in Clinical Practice

Krishna K. Patel, Gary V. Heller and Timothy M. Bateman

12. Ventricular Function

Prem Soman and Saurabh Malhotra

13. Non-Cardiac Findings

Rupa M. Sanghani and Jamario Skeete

14. Interpretation and Reporting of SPECT and PET

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Robert C. Hendel and Gary V. Heller

Section 3. Indications and Applications

15. Clinical Applications of Quantitation and Artificial

Intelligence in Nuclear Cardiology
Robert J.H. Miller and Piotr J. Slomka

16. Appropriate Use of Nuclear Cardiology Techniques

Gursukhman Deep S. Sidhu and Robert C. Hendel

17. Evaluation of Patients with Suspected Coronary Artery

Disease
Sanjeev U. Nair and Gary V. Heller
18. Evaluation of Patients with Known Coronary Artery
Disease
Javier Gomez and Rami Doukky

19. Risk Stratification with Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

Javier Gomez and Rami Doukky

20. Nuclear Cardiovascular Imaging in Special Populations

Robert C. Hendel, Michael C. Desiderio and Gary V. Heller

21. Preoperative Risk Assessment for Noncardiac Surgery

Muhammad Siyab Panhwar, Sumeet S. Mitter and Robert C.
Hendel

22. Radionuclide Imaging in Heart Failure

Gautam V. Ramani and Prem Soman

Section 4. Beyond Perfusion Imaging

23. Nuclear Cardiology Procedures in the Evaluation of

Myocardial Viability
Christiane Wiefels, Fernanda Erthal, Benjamin Chow, Gary V.
Heller and Rob S.B. Beanlands

24. Radionuclide Imaging of Cardiac Innervation

Mark I. Travin and Ana Valdivia

25. Imaging Cardiac Amyloidosis

Cory Henderson, Dillenia Rosica and Sharmila Dorbala
18
26. F-FDG PET/CT for Imaging Cardiac Sarcoidosis and
Inflammation
Cesia Gallegos, Bryan D. Young and Edward J. Miller

27. Hybrid Imaging: SPECT–CT and PET–CT

 Cory Henderson, Patrycja Galazka and Sharmila Dorbala

Section 5. Review Questions

Answers and Explanations for Review Questions

Index
 CONTRIBUTORS

Parthiban Arumugam, MD
Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician and Clinical Director
Nuclear Medicine Centre
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Manchester Royal Infirmary
Manchester, United Kingdom

Timothy M. Bateman, MD
Co-Director, Cardiovascular Radiologic Imaging
Saint-Lukes Health System
Professor of Medicine
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri

Rob S.B. Beanlands, MD, FRCPC, FCCS, FACC, FASNC

Vered Chair and Head, Division of Cardiology
Professor, Medicine (Cardiology)/Radiology
Distinguished Research Chair University of Ottawa
Director, National Cardiac PET Centre
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

James A. Case, PhD, MASNC

University of Missouri, Columbia
Chief Scientific Officer, Cardiovascular Imaging Technologies
Kansas City, Missouri

Benjamin Chow, MD, FRCPC, FACC, FESC, FASNC, MSCCT

Director of Cardiac Imaging
Saul & Edna Goldfarb Chair in Cardiac Imaging
Director of Cardiac Imaging Fellowship Training
Co-Director of Cardiac Radiology
Professor, Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Radiology
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

C. David Cooke, MSEE

Lead Applications Developer/Analyst
Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia

Michael C. Desiderio, DO, FACC

Medical Director, Cardiology
UPMC North Central Pennsylvania Region
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Sharmila Dorbala, MD, MPH, FACC, MASNC

Director of Nuclear Cardiology
Professor, Department of Radiology
Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and the
Noninvasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program
Heart and Vascular Center
Departments of Radiology and Medicine (Cardiology)
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Rami Doukky, MD, MSc, MBA, FACC, FASNC

Professor of Medicine and Radiology
Chairman, Division of Cardiology
Cook County Health
Chicago, Illinois
Andrew J. Einstein, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, MASNC, MSCCT,
FSCMR
Associate Professor of Medicine (in Radiology)
Director, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiac CT, and Cardiac MRI
Director, Advanced Cardiac Imaging Fellowship
Seymour, Paul and Gloria Milstein Division of Cardiology, Department
of Medicine, and Department of Radiology
Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian
Hospital
New York, New York

Fernanda Erthal, MD
Cardiac Imaging Staff
Department of Cardiac Imaging
Diagnosticos da America SA (DASA)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Patrycja Galazka, MD
Fellow, Noninvasive Cardiovascular Imaging
The Noninvasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program
Heart and Vascular Center
Departments of Radiology and Medicine (Cardiology)
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Cesia Gallegos, MD, MHS

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)
Section of Cardiovascular Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut

James R. Galt, PhD

Director of Nuclear Medicine Physics
Professor, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia

Javier Gomez, MD, FACC, FASNC

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Director and Cardio-Oncology Services
Division of Cardiology
Cook County Health
Chicago, Illinois

Gary V. Heller, MD, PhD, FACC, MASNC

Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute
Morristown Medical Center
Morristown, New Jersey

Robert C. Hendel, MD, FAHA, FSCCT, MACC, MASNC

Sidney W. and Marilyn S. Lassen Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine
Professor of Medicine and Radiology
Tulane University School of Medicine
New Orleans, Louisiana

Cory Henderson, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Radiology
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston, Massachusetts

Milena J. Henzlova, MD
Professor of Medicine (retired)
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York

Cole B. Hirschfeld
Fellow, Cardiovascular Disease
Weill Cornell Medicine
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
New York, New York

Seyed Mehdi Khalafi, MD

Cardiovascular Medicine Fellow
Tulane University Medical Center
New Orleans, Louisiana

Saurabh Malhotra, MD, MPH, FACC, FASNC

Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging
Cook County Health
Associate Professor of Medicine
Rush Medical College
Chicago, Illinois

Matthew J. Memmott, MSc

Consultant Medical Physicist
Nuclear Medicine Centre
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Manchester, United Kingdom

Edward J. Miller, MD, PhD, FASNC, FACC

Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging
Yale University School of Medicine
Section of Cardiovascular Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut

Robert J.H. Miller, MD, FRCPC, FACC

Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Cardiac Sciences
University of Calgary and Libin Cardiovascular Institute
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Sue Miller, CNMT
Chief Operating Officer
Molecular Imaging Services, Inc.
Newark, Delaware

Sumeet S. Mitter, MD, MSc

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York

Sanjeev U. Nair, MBBS, MD, FACP, FACC, FSCAI

Interventional Cardiologist
SN Cardiovascular Associates
Fort Worth, Texas

Muhammad Siyab Panhwar, MD

Cardiovascular Medicine Fellow
Tulane University Medical Center
New Orleans, Louisiana

Krishna K. Patel, MD, MSc

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Population Health
and Policy
The Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute
Blavatnik Women’s Health Research Institute
Institute for Transformative Clinical Trials
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York

Gautam V. Ramani, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland

Archana Ramireddy
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist
Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Santa Clara, California

Dillenia Rosica, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology
Department of Radiology
Geisinger Health System
Danville, Pennsylvania

Rupa M. Sanghani, MD, FACC, FASNC

Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiology
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois

Sunil Selvin, CNMT

Vice President, Operations & Clinical Education
Molecular Imaging Service, Inc.
Newark, Delaware

Gursukhman Deep S. Sidhu, MD

Cardiologist
Cardiovascular Institute of the South
Lafayette, Louisiana

Jamario Skeete, MD
Cardiovascular Disease Fellow
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois
Piotr J. Slomka, PhD
Director of Innovations in Imaging, Cedars-Sinai
Professor of Medicine and Cardiology
Division of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Cedars-Sinai
Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine
Los Angeles, California

Prem Soman, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine, and Clinical & Translational Science
University of Pittsburgh
Associate Chief, Cardiology
Director, Nuclear Cardiology and the Cardiac Imaging Fellowship
Director, Cardiac Amyloidosis Center
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Joey Stevens, CNMT

Senior Clinical Accounts Manager
Molecular Imaging Services, Inc.
Newark, Delaware

E. Lindsey Tauxe, MEd, CNMT, FASNC

Operations Director (Retired)
Medicine-Cardiovascular Disease
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama

Jason S. Tavel, PhD, DABR

Medical Physicist
Astarita Associates, Inc.
Smithtown, New York
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, New York
Mark I. Travin, MD, FACC, MASNC
Department of Radiology/Division of Nuclear Medicine
Director of Cardiovascular Nuclear Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center
Professor of Clinical Radiology and Clinical Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, New York

Ana Valdivia, MD
Department of Radiology/Division of Nuclear Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, New York

Christiane Wiefels, MD, MSc

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Medicine
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
PhD Candidate
Federal Fluminense University
Brazil

Bryan D. Young, MD PhD, FACC

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
Yale School of Medicine; Yale New-Haven Health System
New Haven, Connecticut
 PREFACE

We are pleased to present this fourth edition of Nuclear Cardiology:

Practical Applications. We have undertaken substantial revisions,
emphasizing recent changes in technology as well as the
contemporary clinical applications of nuclear cardiology. We have
provided insight as to future directions of the field, delineating where
this important imaging modality is positioned in current-day clinical
practice, especially in the setting of multi-modality imaging. We have
greatly expanded information regarding positron emission
tomography, including an entire chapter on the assessment of
myocardial blood flow. Each chapter now features a table of key
points and many of the tables and figures have been updated and
expanded. We believe these help in the learning process as well as
providing easy referencing key pieces of information. For your
personal knowledge assessment, especially for preparation for
credentialing examinations, we have provided a multitude of
questions with detailed answers related to each chapter, found at
the end of the book.
This fourth edition is ideally suited for trainees and early-career
professionals both radiologists and cardiologists. Additionally, this
book should be very useful for technologists and healthcare
professionals involved in decision-making for testing procedures.
We are grateful to the contributors who have done an outstanding
job updating and expanding the book and its value. We hope that
you find the fourth edition of Nuclear Cardiology: Practical
Applications useful and that it will be a focal point for your nuclear
cardiology education. To this end, it is our goal to assist in the
improvement of nuclear cardiology practice and to benefit the
patients for which we care.

Gary V. Heller
Robert C. Hendel
 SECTION
1

FUNDAMENTALS OF NUCLEAR
CARDIOLOGY
 CHAPTER
1

Fundamentals of Nuclear
Cardiology Physics
C. David Cooke, James R. Galt and E. Lindsey Tauxe

KEY POINTS

Elements are defined by the number of protons in the nucleus.

Nuclides are defined by the number of protons and the number
of neutrons.
The ratio of protons to neutrons determines the stability of a
nucleus.
Unstable nuclei decay to a more stable state through several
different mechanisms: α decay, β− decay, β+ (positron) decay,
electron capture, and isomeric transition.
The rate at which unstable nuclei decay can be described by the
decay constant. It is often more convenient to describe the rate
of decay by the half-life.
The interaction of radiation with matter is dependent on the
energy and type of the radiation, as well as the atomic number
(Z number) of the matter.
Attenuation is the loss of radiation as it passes through matter
and is absorbed or deflected.
INTRODUCTION
A practical review of basic atomic and nuclear physics is essential to
understand the origins of radiations, as well as their interactions with
matter. The nature and type of emissions are determined by the
structural character of the atom and nucleus. The ways in which
radiation interacts with matter have a direct relationship with
imaging and radiation safety. The types of radiations and the ways in
which they interact with matter are the foundation of radionuclide
imaging and radiation safety. This chapter will focus on atomic and
nuclear structure and the interaction of radiations with matter as
they relate to radionuclide imaging.

ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR STRUCTURE

Matter is composed of atoms and the characteristics of a specific
form of matter are determined by the number and type of atoms
that make it up. How atoms combine is a function of their electron
structure. The electron structure is determined by the nuclear
architecture. As we have yet to image the atom, its structure is
based on a “most-probable” model that fits physical behaviors we
observe. The probabilistic approach is based on the model of the
atom proposed by Niels Bohr in 1913. The Bohr atom proposed a
positively charged nucleus, surrounded by negatively charged
electrons. A neutral atom is one in which the positive and negative
charges are matched. A mismatch in these charges determines the
ionic character of the atom, which is the basis for its chemistry. The
electron configuration is also a source for emissions used in
radionuclide imaging.
These emissions, or radiations, will be in one of two forms:
particulate or electromagnetic. The origins of either type of radiation
may be from the nucleus or the electron structure.

Electron Configuration
Electrons are arranged around the nucleus in shells. The number of
shells is determined by the number of electrons, which is, in turn,
determined by the number of protons in the nucleus. The force
exerted on these shells, called binding energy, is determined by the
proximity of the shell to the nucleus. Higher binding energies are
exerted on shells closest to the nucleus and conversely, lower
binding energies for those more distant from the nucleus. The
innermost shell is named the “K” shell and electrons in this shell are
subject to the highest binding energy. The magnitude of that energy
is dependent on the positive forces, which is determined by the
number of protons in the nucleus. The shells more distant from the
nucleus are named L, M, N, and so on. Each of these shells has
lower binding energies as a result of their distance from the nucleus
(Fig. 1-1).
FIGURE 1-1 Atomic structure. The nucleus is surrounded by
electron shells. The binding energy decreases as the distance from
the nucleus increases (K > L > M).

The radii of each of these shells increase as a function of their

distance from the nucleus. An expression of this is given by
assigning an integer value (1, 2, 3, …) to each shell. The lower
values represent smaller radii. These integer values are called
quantum numbers. Therefore, the K shell has a quantum number of
1, L = 2, M = 3, etc. This pattern continues until all available
electrons are bound to a shell. The innermost shells are filled with
electrons preferentially. The maximum number of electrons is
specific to each shell and is calculated by 2n2, where n is the
quantum number. Therefore, the maximum number of electrons for
each shell is:

These shells are further subdivided into substates. The number of

substates for each shell can be calculated by 2n − 1; therefore:

Each substate for a given shell will have a unique binding energy.
For instance, the L shell has three substates, LI, LII, and LIII.1 Each
of these has slightly different distances from the nucleus, and
therefore slightly different binding energies (Fig. 1-2).2
FIGURE 1-2 Electron configuration. Electrons are arranged in
subshells, as illustrated for the L shell. Each subshell has a unique
binding energy.

Atomic Radiations
Electrons in inner shells being under high binding energy and thus
tightly bound to the nucleus are in an inherently low-energy state.
Outer shell and free electrons are in an inherently higher-energy
state. Therefore, to move an inner shell electron to an outer shell
requires energy. The amount of energy required is simply the
difference between binding energies.
Example: Binding energy for a hypothetical “K” shell = 100 keV
and “L” = 50 keV. K100 − L50 = 50 keV of energy input to move the
electron from the “K” shell to the “L” shell.
Conversely, the movement of an electron from an outer shell to
an inner shell, L → K, yields energy. This energy yield results in the
emission of radiation. The energy of the radiation is equal to the
differences in binding energies of the shells. The radiation may take
on two different forms: characteristic x-ray or Auger (oh-zhay)
effect.
Example: Binding energy for a hypothetical “K” shell = 100 keV
and “L” = 50 keV. K100 − L50 = 50 keV of energy released as the
electron moves from the “L” shell to the “K” shell.
Characteristic x-rays are electromagnetic radiations (photons) that
are created when an outer shell electron moves to fill an inner shell
vacancy. This vacancy may occur for several reasons—to be
discussed later. The energy of this photon is equal to the difference
between binding energies. Since binding energies are determined by,
or characteristic of, the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is
the number of protons that determines an element’s identity, the
characteristic x-ray energies are specific to each element and the
electron shells from which they originate. X-radiation is defined as an
electromagnetic radiation originating outside the nucleus, therefore
the term characteristic x-ray.
 The Auger effect occurs under the same conditions as
characteristic x-ray, that is, an inner shell vacancy being filled by an
outer shell electron. The difference is that the excess energy from
the cascading electron is radiated to another electron. This ejects
that electron from its shell. This free electron will have kinetic energy
equal to the difference in the binding energies less the binding
energy of the shell of the free electron. The Auger effect is more
common in elements with lower numbers of protons (Z number).1–3

Nuclear Structure
The nucleus is composed mainly of neutrons and protons. Any
particle contributing to the structure of the nucleus is called a
nucleon. The conventional nomenclature to describe the nucleons is:
.

where:

Since the number of neutrons (N) can be derived from the atomic
mass number (A) and the number of protons (Z), it is usually
omitted (N = A − Z). In addition, since the number of protons (Z)
defines an element, as does its chemical symbol (X), only one is
necessary; hence, Z is often omitted as well.
The total mass of an atom is essentially the combined masses of
the nucleons. Electrons contribute less than 1% to the total mass.1
Nuclides having the same number of protons (Z) are called
isotopes. Isotopes are the same element, but have different atomic
masses (A) and therefore have different numbers of neutrons (N);
for example: , , and . Nuclides with the same number
of neutrons (N) are called isotones and will be different elements,
since the number of protons (Z) will be different; for example: ,
, and . Nuclides with the same atomic mass number (A)
are called isobars and are different elements as well, since they will
have different numbers of protons (Z) and neutrons (N); for
example: and . Finally, nuclides with the same number
of protons (Z) and neutrons (N), but in different energy states are
called isomers; for example: and . An easy mnemonic for
remembering this is that isotopes (with a p) have the same number
of protons, isotones (with an n) have the same number of neutrons,
isobars (with an a) have the same atomic number, and isomers
(with an e) are the same nuclide with different energies.
Isotopes having different N numbers are of particular interest to
imagers because they have the same chemistry, since their Z
numbers and, therefore, electron numbers are the same.1–5 Some
isotopes exhibit the emission of radiations, which is due to the
differences in the number of neutrons. These isotopes are called
unstable. If all the stable isotopes of all elements are plotted,
comparing proton number to neutron number, a pattern emerges as
illustrated in Figure 1-3.
FIGURE 1-3 Line of stability. All naturally occurring stable nuclides
fall along a distribution known as the line of stability (LOS). As
illustrated, for light elements (Z < 20) N ~ Z and for heavier
elements N ~ 1.5Z. Unstable elements, lying to the left of the LOS,
are neutron rich; those lying to the right of the LOS are proton rich.

Elements with low Z numbers have proton to neutron ratios that

are 1:1. As Z numbers increase, this ratio increases to as high as
1.5. This distribution of stable elements is called the line of stability.
By definition, an element with a proton to neutron ratio that falls to
either the left or right of the line of stability is unstable. The unstable
isotopes, radioisotopes, are unstable because their nuclear
configurations are either proton rich or neutron rich relative to stable
configurations. These radioactive elements seek stability by
undergoing transformations in their nuclear configurations to a more
stable P ↔ N ratio. The type of transformation will be a result of the
P ↔ N ratio, that is, proton rich versus neutron rich. This type of
transition is called the mode of decay.1–4

Modes of Decay
The goal of nuclear decay is to equate the balance of forces in the
nucleus. The repelling forces originating from the positive charge
(coulombic forces) of the protons, when matched by the attractive
forces from within the nucleus (exchange forces), define stability.
When these forces are mismatched, nuclear transformations
(radioactive decay) result. The mode of decay will produce unique
emissions and lead to a more stable nuclear configuration. In
radionuclide imaging, the ideal mode of decay would result in a high
yield of photons, at an energy that is efficiently detected by our
imaging instrumentation. Photon emission is also desirable from the
radiation safety and dosimetry perspectives, due to their lower
probability of creating potentially damaging interactions as compared
to particles. With these considerations, it is important to understand
the modes of decay of 99mTechnetium, 201Thallium, and 82Rubidium
—the most commonly used radionuclides in nuclear cardiology.1,2

β− Decay
In an unstable nuclear configuration where the nucleus is neutron
rich, β− decay occurs. To decrease the neutron–proton ratio, a
neutron is converted to a proton and an energized electron is
emitted. The expression of this nuclear transition is:

n → p + e− + ν + energy

where n is the neutron, p the proton, e the electron, and ν is the

neutrino.
The neutrino (ν) behaves like a particle with no mass and is not
critical to imaging considerations. The primary emission is the
energized electron (e−). The nuclear configuration that results from
β− decay is a daughter with a stable or more stable energy state and
an additional proton in its nucleus.

Example:

Since the number of protons is changed, the elemental identity

changes. This is called a transmutation. The daughter atomic mass
(A) remains the same as the parent nucleus, and the energy carried
off by the ejected electron is called transition energy. This leads to a
more balanced relationship of coulombic force (repelling forces due
to the protons) and exchange force (attractive nuclear forces). The
resulting emission of the energized electron, a β− particle, is of no
use in imaging and contributes to an increase in radiation dose in a
biologic system. This decay process may lead to a daughter that is
not fully stable, but more stable than the parent.1,2 The change in
nuclear configuration is an increase in Z and a decrease in N.
β+ Decay
In nuclear configurations where the parent is proton rich, β+ decay
may occur. In this mode of decay, a proton is converted to a neutron
and the emission of an energized, positively charged electron (β+)
results. The nuclear equation is:

p → n + e+ + ν + energy

The energy of the β+ particle contributes to resolving the

transition energy between the unstable parent and more stable
daughter, as in β− decay.
An important secondary emission will result from the formation of
the β+ particle. Since there is an abundance of negatively charged
electrons in nature, the resulting positively charged electron (β+) will
be attracted to, and collide with, a free negatively charged electron.
This collision results in the annihilation of both particles. The
annihilation leads to the conversion of the mass of these particles to
their equivalent energy state. This is expressed by Einstein’s
equation E = mc2, where E is energy, m the mass, and c is the
speed of light. This essentially states that energy and mass are
simply two physical forms of the same thing. Therefore, two photons
(E) are emitted, each with the energy equivalent to the mass (m) of
an electron, which is 511 keV. Unique to this annihilation is that
these photons are emitted in a 180-degree trajectory from each
other. It is these photons that are detected and registered into an
image in positron imaging, such as with 82Rb. The change in nuclear
configuration is a decrease in Z and an increase in N.

Example:

Electron Capture
An alternative to β+ decay in proton-rich nuclear configuration is
electron capture. This mode of decay is defined as the capture of a
K-shell electron by the nucleus, the subsequent combination with a
proton, and creation of a neutron. The nuclear expression is
therefore:

p + e− → n + ν + energy

The vacancy left by the captured electron would then be filled by

an outer shell electron. A cascade of an electron, filling subsequent
vacancies, creates secondary emissions called characteristic x-rays
and Auger electrons. The energies of these emissions will be
characteristic of the binding energy of the daughter, since the
nuclear transition occurred prior to the production of the x-rays and
Auger electrons. It is the characteristic x-rays that are imaged in
201
Tl myocardial perfusion imaging. The energy of the x-rays is
determined by the binding energy of 201Hg, the daughter of the
decay of 201Tl. Electron capture decreases the proton–neutron ratio.1

Example:

Isomeric Transitions and Internal Conversions

The daughter of the decay of a radioactive parent will ideally be in
its most stable energy configuration or ground state. This does not
always occur, leading to either of the two unstable states: excited
state or metastable state. Excited states are very unstable and exist
for very short time periods, usually less than 10−12 seconds.
Metastable states, however, may exist for several hours. These
metastable states lead to the release of energy in the form of
electromagnetic emissions, without changing the proton–neutron
ratios. The daughter nucleus has the same nuclear structure as the
parent has, but in a more stable energy configuration. This form of
decay is called an isomeric transition and results in electromagnetic
emissions called γ-rays. These emissions are the same as x-rays,
differing only by their location of origin, that is, the nucleus. As
noted with the production of characteristic x-rays, there is a
competing process, resulting in a particulate radiation. This process
is called internal conversion. For any given metastable state, there is
a specific ratio of isomeric transitions to internal conversions. In
imaging, the higher percentage of isomeric transitions compared to
internal conversions is preferred due to the resulting higher yield of
photons. The decay of 99mTc to 99Tc is an example of an isomeric
transition of the metastable state (99mTc). The percent occurrence of
isomeric transitions of a population of 99mTc nuclei is approximately
87%. For example, for every 100 decays of 99mTc nuclei, there is a
yield of 87 γ-photons and 13 internal conversion electrons.
For any given mode of decay, should the daughter be metastable,
there will be the emission of γ-photons and internal conversion
electrons as secondary emissions. This will be indicated as [B−, γ],
[B+, γ], [EC, γ], and so forth. The internal conversion electron yield,
in ratio to γ-photon yield, is specific to a given radionuclide.1,2,5

Alpha (α) Decay

In unstable nuclei with very high atomic masses, the most probable
mode of decay is α decay. An alpha particle consists of two protons
and two neurons, which is essentially a helium nucleus. Alpha decay
results in a daughter with a Z number of 2 less than the parent and
an atomic mass less by 4 relative to the parent.

Example:

Due to its high charges and heavy mass, the alpha particle has a
very short travel distance in matter and deposits its energy very
quickly. It has no application in diagnostic imaging and induces
significant potential for biologic damage.1,3

Decay Schemes
The modes of decay may be expressed graphically, called decay
schemes. Decay schemes graphically illustrate all possible nuclear
transitions that unstable nuclei undergo. They are often
accompanied by tables with detailed information about the
transitions, such as the percentage occurrence, isomeric transitions,
internal conversions, characteristic x-rays, Auger electrons, and
biologic dose information.
In decay schemes, the nuclear energy levels are expressed as
horizontal lines. The space between these lines represents the
transition energy (Q).
The types of emissions are depicted by a unique direction of a line
(Fig. 1-4).
FIGURE 1-4 Decay schemes. This figure illustrates the
configurations of decay schemes for the different modes of decay.
The schemes move to the left for proton-rich radionuclides and to
the right for neutron-rich radionuclides.

Note that the arrows may be angled to either the right or left. In
neutron-rich parents, the mode of decay “shifts” the daughter to the
right, corresponding to the shift on to the line of stability graph.
Conversely, a mode of decay for a proton-rich parent moves to the
left, toward the line of stability.
The tables that accompany decay schemes provide additional
detail including the secondary emissions, as mentioned earlier. Since
many of the secondary emissions are particulate, that is, electrons,
these data are of particular interest in radiation dosimetry. In the
decay scheme for 201Tl, the data regarding the characteristic x-rays
of 201Hg are in these tables.

Parent–Daughter Equilibrium
Not all nuclear transitions lead to a stable daughter. The β− decay of
99
Mo yields 99mTc, which then decays to 99Tc by isomeric transitions
and internal conversions. 99mTc decays to 99Tc with an 87%
frequency through isomeric transitions. Therefore, for every 100
decays of 99mTc, we observe 87 γ-rays and 13 internal conversion
electrons, as stated earlier. This higher yield of photons makes 99mTc
a very desirable radionuclide for imaging. A sample of 99Mo would
always contain some proportion of 99mTc and 99Tc. Since both parent
and daughter are decaying, the relative activities would reach
equilibrium, based on their half-lives. These states of equilibrium are
employed when using both technetium and rubidium generators.
When the parent half-life is marginally longer than that of the
daughter, the amount of the daughter in the mixture will reach a
maximum over a period of time. That elapsed time will be a multiple
of half-lives of the daughter. If the daughter radionuclide is removed
from the mixture, the same multiple of half-lives will have to occur,
before the maximum amount of the daughter is subsequently
reached. This equilibrium state is called transient equilibrium.2,4 It is
this transient state that is the basis of 99mTc production from 99Mo–
99m
Tc generators (Fig. 1-5).
FIGURE 1-5 Transient equilibrium. When the parent half-life is
marginally longer than that of the daughter, the amount of daughter
activity will reach a maximum after relatively few daughter half-lives
have passed. 99Mo and 99mTc typically reach transient equilibrium
after approximately four 99mTc half-lives.

In parent–daughter mixtures where the half-life of the parent is

markedly longer than that of the daughter, secular equilibrium is
reached. In this state of equilibrium, the concentration of the parent
is decreasing so slowly relative to the daughter that the mixture
appears to have the half-life of the parent. It is this equilibrium that
is the basis for the 82Sr–82Rb generators used in 82Rb positron
emission tomography (PET) imaging (Fig. 1-6).1
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 THE AMBITIOUS THRUSH

O
NCE there was a thrush who lived in a tree on the borders of a
field that a man sowed to cotton seed. The seed sprouted up
through the ground and grew into bushes, and after a time the
bushes had big, brown pods on them. Presently the pods burst open
and the fluffy white cotton bulged out of them. “How nice and soft
that cotton looks!” said the thrush.
She picked some of it and used it to line her nest. Never before
had she slept with such ease as she did on that bed of cotton.
In her flights about the region she often passed the door of a man
who made a business of carding cotton so it could be spun into
thread. By carding it he disentangled the fibers, and then he formed
it into small rolls and sold it to the spinners. The thrush often
observed him at his work, and at length she concluded that she,
also, would make some use of the cotton besides simply lining her
nest with it. So again and again, every day, she would fly down
among the cotton bushes, pluck out a fluff of cotton in her beak and
fly away and hide it. She kept on doing this till she had quite a large
heap. Then she flew to the house of the cotton-carder, and alighted
in front of him. “Good day, man,” said she.
“Good day, little bird,” said the cotton-carder.
“Man,” said the thrush, “I have a heap of beautiful cotton; and you
shall have half of it if you will card the rest and make it into rolls for
me.”
 “Very well,” said the man, “I will do as you desire. Where is your
cotton?”
“Come with me, and I will show you,” said the thrush.
So she flew along ahead of the man and guided him to the place
where she had hidden her hoard of cotton. The man took the cotton
home and carded it and made it into rolls. Half of it he took for doing
the work, and the rest he gave back to the thrush.
Not far from the carder lived a spinner, and the thrush went to him
and said: “Mr. Spinner, I have some rolls of cotton all ready to spin
into thread. If I give you half of them, will you spin the other half into
thread for me?”
“That I will,” said the spinner, and the thrush showed him the way
to where she had put the rolls.
In a few days the spinner had spun all the rolls into the finest
thread. Then he took a pair of scales and weighed the thread to
make two equal parts. Half he kept for himself, and the other half he
gave to the thrush.
The next thing the thrush did was to fly to the house of a weaver,
to whom she said: “Sir, I have some cotton thread all ready to weave
into cloth. If I give you half of the thread, will you weave the other
half into cloth for me?”
“Certainly,” said the weaver, and the thrush guided him to where
she had secreted the thread.
He carried it home and spun it into cloth, and half the cloth he
kept, and half he gave to the thrush. She was an ambitious bird,
eager to convey an impression of distinction, and she decided to
have some garments made for herself out of the cloth. So she went
to a tailor, and said, “I have a nice piece of cotton cloth, and I will
give you half of it if you will make the rest into clothes for me.”
The tailor was glad to do this, and the bird guided him to where
she had hidden the cloth. He took it home, and at once set to work.
Half of it sufficed to make a beautiful dress for the thrush. There was
a skirt, and there was a jacket with sleeves in the latest pattern. A
little of the cloth was left over, and the tailor used it to make a pretty
hat for the thrush to put on her head.
Then she was indeed delighted, and felt there was little more to
desire in the world. She put on her skirt, and her jacket with
fashionable sleeves, and the little hat, and looked at her image in a
woodland pool. What she saw pleased her greatly. In fact, she
became so vain that nothing would do but she must show herself to
the king.

So she flew and flew and flew until she came to the king’s palace.
Right into the great hall she winged her way and perched on a peg
that was high on the wall and began to sing. The king and the queen
and all the courtiers were sitting down below. “Oh, look!” exclaimed
the queen. “There is a thrush in a jacket and skirt and a pretty hat!”
Everybody looked at the thrush singing on her peg, and clapped
their hands.
 “Come here, little bird,” said the king, “and show the queen your
pretty clothes.”
The thrush felt highly flattered, and flew down on the table, and
took off her jacket to show the queen. After the queen had looked at
it she folded it up and put it in her pocket.
“Give me my jacket,” twittered the thrush. “I shall catch cold, and
besides, it is not proper for a lady to go about without a jacket.”
All the company laughed, and the king said, “You shall have your
jacket, Mistress Thrush, if you will come nearer.”
She approached the king close enough so he was able to make a
sudden grab and catch her.
“Let me go,” squeaked the thrush, struggling to get free. But the
king would not release her.
“Greedy king!” cried the thrush, “you ought to be ashamed to covet
my little jacket!”
That made the king angry, and he took a carving knife and
chopped her to little bits. While he was doing so the thrush kept
exclaiming, “The king snips and cuts like a tailor, but he is not so
honest!”
When the king had finished chopping her up, he began to wash
the pieces, and each piece as he washed it called out, “The king
scours and scrubs like a washerwoman, but he is not so honest!”
As soon as the washing was done he put the pieces into a frying-
pan and began to fry them, and all the time they cried out, “The king
is doing the work of a cook, but he is not so honest!”
After the pieces were fried, the king ate them, but even that did not
silence the wronged thrush. She continually shouted: “I am inside of
the king. It is just like the inside of any other man, only not so
honest!”
The king was like a walking musical box, and he did not like it, but
it was his own fault. No matter where he went, everyone heard the
cries of the thrush proclaiming that she was inside of the king, and
that his inside was just like that of other men, only not so honest.
This caused a good deal of gossip among the king’s subjects and
resulted in his being universally despised. At last he could stand it no
longer. He sent for his doctor and said the talking bird must be
removed.
“That cannot be done without causing your death,” said the doctor.
“It will cause my death if it is not done,” declared the king, “for I
cannot endure being made a fool of.”
So the doctor had to remove the thrush, and, strange to say, the
pieces had united, and as soon as the bird was released she flew
away. Her beautiful clothes were all gone, but she did not regret that.
She was quite content in future to use cotton only to make a soft
lining for her nest, and never again had a desire to ape the ways of
mankind.
As for the king, he died; and it was a good riddance. His son
reigned in his stead, and he remembered his father’s miserable
death and kept all his promises to men and beasts and birds.
 THE BEWITCHED BOTTLES

I
N the good old days, when the fairies were more frequently seen
than in these unbelieving times, a farmer named Mick Purcell
rented a few acres of barren ground in southern Ireland, about
three miles from Mallow, and twelve from the city of Cork. Mick had a
wife and children, and they helped him all they could. That, however,
was very little; for none of the children were big enough to do much
work, and his wife was kept busy taking care of them, and milking
the cow, boiling the potatoes, and carrying the eggs to market. So,
though Mick was never idle from morn till night, it was by no means
easy for them to make a living. Yet by hook or by crook they
contrived to get along until there came a bad year. The oats were all
spoiled that season, the chickens died of the pip, and the pig got the
measles so that when it was sold it brought almost nothing.
Mick was in despair. The rent had long been due, and he
addressed his wife, saying, “Molly, what shall we do?”
“My dear,” said she, “what can you do but take the cow to the fair
at Cork and sell her? Saturday is fair day, and this is Thursday. You
must start tomorrow, that the poor beast may have a night’s rest
there and be at her best when you show her at the fair.”
“And what will we do when she’s gone?” asked Mick sorrowfully.
“Never a know I know, Mick,” she replied; “but sure I am that we
will be taken care of. You remember how it was when little Billy was
sick, and we had no medicine for him to take—that good doctor
gentleman at Ballyshin came riding and asking for a drink of milk;
and he gave us two shillings and sent things for Billy, and he gave
me my breakfast when I went to his house to ask a question—so he
did. He came to see Billy again and again, and never left off his
goodness till the boy was quite well.”
“Oh! you are always that way, Molly,” said Mick; “and I believe you
are right, after all. So I won’t be sorry for selling the cow, and I’ll take
her to Cork tomorrow. But before I go you must put a needle and
thread through my coat, for you know ’tis ripped under the arm.”
Molly told him he should have everything right; and about twelve
o’clock next day he started, while Molly stood in the doorway of their
cabin and called after him not to sell the cow except at the highest
price. Mick promised to do as she bid, and went his way along the
road. As he drove his cow through the little stream that crosses the
highway and runs on beside the old walls of Mourne Abbey he
glanced toward the ruinous towers.
“I’ve often heard there is great treasure buried under you,” said he.
“Oh! if I only had that money, it isn’t driving this cow I’d be now. What
a pity such a treasure should be there covered over with earth, and
many a one wanting it besides me! Well, if it be God’s will I’ll have
some money myself when I am coming back.”
So saying, he moved on after his beast. It was a fine day, and the
sun shone brightly on the walls of the old abbey, and all the country
around looked green and pleasant. Six miles farther on he came to
the top of a high hill, and just there a man overtook him and greeted
him with a “Good morrow.”
“Good morrow kindly,” said Mick, looking at the stranger, who was
such a little man that he might almost be called a dwarf. He had a
wrinkled, yellow face, and a sharp nose, red eyes, and white hair;
and he was muffled up in a big overcoat that came down to his
heels. His eyes were never quiet, but looked at everything, and they
made Mick feel quite cold when he met their glance. In truth, he did
not much like the little man’s company, and he drove his cow on
faster, but the stranger kept up with him. It seemed to Mick that his
fellow-traveler did not walk like other men, and that instead of putting
one foot before the other he glided over the rough road like a
shadow, without noise and without effort. Mick’s heart trembled
within him, and he said a prayer to himself, wishing he had not come
that day, or that he did not have the cow to take care of, so he might
run away from the mysterious stranger. In the midst of his fears he
was again addressed by his companion, who asked him where he
was going with his cow.
“To the fair at Cork,” replied Mick, trembling at the shrill and
piercing tones of the stranger’s voice.
“Are you going to sell her?” inquired the little man.
“Why, for what else could I be taking her to the fair?” was Mick’s
response.
“Will you sell her to me?” said the stranger.
Mick started—he was afraid to have anything to do with the little
man; and yet he was more afraid to say, “No.” He hesitated, and
then asked, “What will you give for her?”
“I’ll give you this bottle,” answered the little man, pulling a bottle
from under his coat.
Mick looked at him and the bottle, and, in spite of his terror, could
not help laughing.
“Laugh if you will,” said the little man, “but I tell you this bottle is
worth more to you than all the money you can get for your cow in
Cork—aye, a thousand times over.”
Mick laughed again. “Why,” said he, “do you think I am such a fool
as to give my good cow for a bottle—and an empty one, too?
Indeed, I won’t.”
“You had better give me the cow and take the bottle,” said the little
man. “You’ll be sorry if you don’t.”
“But what would Molly say?” muttered Mick. “I’d never hear the
end of it; and how would I pay the rent, and what would we all do
without a penny of money?”
“This bottle of mine is better to you than money,” the little man
affirmed. “Take it, and give me the cow. I ask you for the last time,
Mick Purcell.”
 “How does he know my name?” thought Mick, with increased
alarm.
“I have a regard for you, Mick Purcell,” the stranger continued.
“Therefore do I warn you that unless you make the exchange I have
proposed you will be sorry for it. How do you know but your cow may
die before you get to Cork?”
“God forbid!” exclaimed Mick.
“And how do you know,” the little man went on, “but there will be
so many cattle at the fair you will get a poor price? Or you might be
robbed when you are coming home. But why need I talk more to you
when you are determined to throw away your luck?”
“Oh, no! I would not throw away my luck, sir,” Mick affirmed hastily;
“and if I was sure the bottle was as good as you say, though I never
liked an empty bottle, I’d give you the cow for it.”
“I would not tell you a lie,” declared the stranger. “Here, take the
bottle, and when you get home do what I direct, exactly.”
Mick hesitated.
“Well, then,” said the little man sharply, “good-by, I can stay no
longer. Take the bottle and be rich; or refuse it, and beg for your
living, and see your children in poverty and your wife dying of want.
That is what will happen to you, Mick Purcell!” and the little man
grinned maliciously.
“Maybe ’tis true,” said Mick, still hesitating. He did not know what
to do; and yet he could hardly help believing the old man. The latter
was turning to go when Mick in a fit of desperation seized the bottle.
“Take the cow,” said he, “and if you are telling a lie, the curse of the
poor will be on you.”
“I care neither for your curses, nor for your blessings,” retorted the
little man. “I have spoken the truth, Mick Purcell, as you will surely
know tonight after you reach home, if you do what I tell you.”
“And what’s that?” inquired Mick.
 “When you go into the house,” said the little man, “never mind if
your wife is angry over the bargain you have made. Be quiet
yourself, and get her to sweep the room, and to clear off the table
and spread a clean cloth over it. Then put the bottle on the floor,
saying these words, ‘Bottle, do your duty,’ and you will see what will
happen.”
“Is that all?” asked Mick.
“No more,” was the stranger’s answer. “Farewell, Mick Purcell. You
are a rich man.”
“God grant it!” said Mick, as the stranger went off driving the cow.
Mick now started toward home, but he had gone only a few paces
when he turned to have one more look at the purchaser of his cow.
To his surprise neither the little man nor the cow were to be seen.
“The Lord be between us and him!” exclaimed Mick. “That little man
can’t belong to this earth;” and Mick continued on his way muttering
prayers and holding fast the bottle.
“What would I do if it broke?” thought he; “but I’ll look out for that.”
So he put the bottle into his bosom and hurried on, anxious to
prove the virtues of his treasure, and at the same time a good deal
troubled over the reception he was likely to meet from his wife. He
reached home in the evening, still much perturbed between his
doubts and hopes, and surprised his wife sitting beside a turf fire
burning in the big fireplace.
“Oh, Mick! are you come back?” she cried. “Sure, you haven’t
been all the way to Cork! What has happened to you? Where is the
cow? Did you sell her? How much money did you get for her? What
is the news?”
“Molly,” said he, “if you’ll give me time, I’ll tell you all that’s
happened. But I can’t tell you where the cow is.”
“You sold her on the way, did you?” said Molly; “and where’s the
money? How is—”
“Arrah! stop a while, Molly,” he interrupted, “and I’ll tell you all
about it.”
 “What bottle is that under your waistcoat?” she asked, spying the
neck of it sticking out.
“Be easy, can’t you!” begged Mick, and he put the bottle on the
table and said, “That’s what I got for the cow.”
His wife was thunderstruck. “A bottle!” she ejaculated, “an empty
bottle, and nothing more?”
“Just an empty bottle,” Mick replied. “But—”
“And what good is it?” said Molly. “Oh, Mick! I never thought you
were such a fool; and how will we pay the rent? and how—”
“Now, Molly,” said Mick, “can’t you stop a bit and hearken to
reason? An old man overtook me on the big hill, half-way to Cork,
and he made me sell him the cow, and said this bottle which he gave
me in exchange would make me rich.”
“Make you rich!” cried Molly. “We’ll see what it will do for you,” and
she snatched it up from the table, intending to break it over his head.
But Mick caught it before it had time to descend, and, recalling the
old man’s advice to keep peaceable, he gently loosened his wife’s
grasp, and placed the bottle again in his bosom. Molly sat down and
wept while Mick told her his story with many a crossing and blessing
between him and harm. The marvel of it caused his wife’s doubts to
vanish, for she had as much faith in fairies as she had in the priest,
who indeed never discouraged her belief in them—maybe he
believed in them himself. She got up and began to sweep the
earthen floor with a bunch of heath. That done, she tidied up
everything, set out the long table, and spread a clean cloth on it.
Mick then placed the bottle on the floor and said, “Bottle, do your
duty.”
“Look there! look there, mammy!” exclaimed the chubby eldest
son, a boy about six years old; and he sprang to his mother’s side
and clung to her skirts in terror with his eyes on the bottle.
Two tiny men were climbing out of it, and in a few moments they
had brought plates and other dishes, all of solid gold or silver, and
put them on the table, and the dishes contained a bountiful feast of
the choicest food that ever was seen. As soon as this task was
finished, the tiny men went into the bottle, which Mick then picked up
and carefully set on the mantel. Where the little men had gone he
could not tell, for the bottle seemed to be as empty as when he first
received it.
 Two tiny men climbed out of the bottle

For some time Mick and his wife stood and gazed at the table in
silent bewilderment. They had never seen such dishes before and
did not think they could ever admire them enough. In fact, the sight
of all this splendor almost took away their appetites. But at length
Molly said: “Come and sit down, Mick, and try to eat a bit. Sure, you
ought to be hungry after such a good day’s work.”
“It’s plain the little old man told no lie about the bottle,” said Mick;
and he helped the children into seats around the table. They all
made a hearty meal, though they could not eat half the food that was
before them.
“Now,” said Molly, “I wonder if these fine things are ours to do as
we please with them, or if those two good little gentlemen in the
bottle will carry them away.”
They waited to see what would happen, but the little men
remained in the bottle, and at length Molly cleared the table and put
away the dishes. “Ah, Mick,” said she, “you’ll be a rich man yet, as
the stranger who took your cow foretold.”
Before they went to sleep that night they decided that they would
sell some of their fine tableware, and with the money it brought pay
what they owed, and rent more land. So the next day Mick went to
Cork laden with a number of the gold and silver dishes, which he
sold for more money than he had ever had in his hands before. He
did not return on foot, for he bought a horse and cart so that he was
able to ride. In the weeks that followed he increased his wealth from
time to time by calling forth the imps out of the bottle, and it was
soon plain to everyone that Mick was prospering. He and his wife did
all they could to keep the source of their good fortune a secret, but
their landlord presently came to Mick and asked him where he got all
his money, for he knew very well it was not from the farm.
Mick tried to put him off with excuses. This, however, would not
do, and the landlord was so persistent that finally Mick told him about
the bottle. The landlord offered Mick a great deal of money for it, but
Mick continued to refuse until the landlord said that in addition to the
money he would give him the farm he rented. Mick surrendered the
bottle, feeling that he was now so rich he never would be in want
again. But he was mistaken, for he and his family lived as if there
was no end to their fortune. They earned little and spent much. Their
wealth melted away, and at length they became so poor they had
nothing left which they could sell but one cow.
So Mick prepared to drive the cow to Cork fair and dispose of her.
It was hardly daybreak when he left home, and he walked on at a
good pace till he reached the big hill midway in his journey. The
mists were sleeping in the valleys and curling like smoke-wreaths on
the brown heath around him. Just beside the road, as he was going
along, a lark sprang from its grassy couch and ascended into the
clear blue sky pouring forth its joyous matin-song. While Mick was
watching it he was startled and rejoiced to hear the well-remembered
voice of that same old man who had accosted him here once before.
“Well, Mick Purcell,” said the stranger, “I told you that you would be a
rich man; and you found that I was right, did you not?”
“Indeed, sir, it was the truth you spoke, and no mistake,” replied
Mick. “But it’s not rich I am now. Have you another bottle? I need it
as much at present as when I first saw you. So, if you have one, sir,
here is my cow for it.”
“And here is a bottle,” responded the little man, taking it from an
inside pocket of his coat. “You know what to do with it.”
“Sure I do,” said Mick.
“Farewell,” said the strange old man as he turned to go.
“And good-by to you, sir,” said Mick. “May your shadow never
grow less. Good-by, sir, good-by.”
Mick wasted no time looking back to see what became of the little
man and the cow, but hastened homeward. As soon as he arrived he
called out, “Molly, Molly! I have another bottle!”
“Have you?” said she, laughing joyfully. “Why, then, you’re a lucky
man, Mick Purcell, that’s what you are.”
 She quickly put everything in order and set forth the table with a
clean spread on it. Then Mick placed the bottle on the floor, and said,
with a tone of exultation in his voice, “Bottle, do your duty.”
In a twinkling, two big, stout men with heavy cudgels issued from
the bottle (I do not know how there was room for them in it) and
belabored Mick and Molly and the rest of the family, including the
dog and the cat, till they sank bruised and faint to the floor. This
result seemed to satisfy the two men, and they returned to the bottle.
When Mick recovered sufficiently to get on his feet he stood and
thought and thought. At length he helped up his wife and children.
But he left them to get over their fright as best they could while he
took the bottle under his coat and went off to call on his landlord.
The landlord’s mansion was full of company when he got there,
and they were just sitting down to a magnificent feast provided by
the imps of the bottle which Mick formerly owned. He sent in word by
a servant that he wanted to speak with the master of the house on
urgent business.
Pretty soon the landlord came out. “Well, what do you want now?”
he asked roughly.
“Nothing, sir, only to tell you that I have another bottle,” Mick
answered.
“Oho!” said the landlord, softening his manner and rubbing his
hands together gleefully, “and is it as good as the first?”
“Yes, sir, and better,” declared Mick. “If you like, I will show it to
you before all the ladies and gentlemen in your dining-hall.”
“Come along then,” was the landlord’s response, “and if I’m
satisfied with what you show, I will pay a good round price for the
bottle.”
He conducted his former tenant into the great hall, where Mick
was interested to behold the other bottle standing high up on a shelf.
“Now,” said the landlord, “let us see what your bottle can do.”
Mick set it on the floor and said, “Bottle, do your duty.”
 Immediately out came the two stout men with their big clubs, and
knocked the landlord off his feet. Then they assailed the ladies and
gentlemen, his guests, and the servants, also, and there was running
and sprawling and kicking and shrieking. Cups and plates and
salvers were scattered about in all directions, and the landlord began
to call out, “Mick Purcell, stop those two demons, or I’ll have you
hanged!”
“No, no!” said Mick, “they never will be stopped by me till I get that
bottle I used to own, which I see high up on the shelf there.”
“Give it to him, give it to him before we are all killed!” beseeched
the battered ladies and gentlemen.
“Take it, and make haste,” cried the landlord.
So Mick climbed up and got the bottle that had been the source of
his former good fortune. By this time the men with the cudgels had
pounded the company to their satisfaction. They retired to their
bottle, and off went Mick with both bottles in his bosom.
As the years passed he became richer and richer, and when, in his
old age, his servants broke the bottles while fighting at a wake he
was careful not to squander his riches as he had previously. So he
and his wife lived happily to the end of their days.