RADON CURE: Defunct gold and uranium mines south of Helena, Montana, attract ailing tourists, who bask in radioactive radon gas and drink radioactive water to improve their health. Each summer, hundreds of people, come to the radon health mines to relax and treat arthritis, lupus, asthma and other chronic cripplers. The mineshaft touts radon levels as much as 175 times the federal safety standard for houses. The typical vacation lasts any where from a week to two weeks and visitors are recommended to sit in the mine two or three times a day. The permitted total visit is determined by the radiation level of the particular mine. The average visitor is 72 years old. The mines appeal to "plain people," such as the Amish or the Mennonites, because of the "natural" healing aspects, the lack of commercialization, and the relatively low cost-per-hour for treatment sessions. (1991)