New-York tribune., 1903-10-07
THE USES AND NATURE OF RADIUM.

IHE USES AND NA1UhE OF hdDIOh
While physicists and chemists are still seek
ing a satisfactory explanation for the strange
phenomena exhibited by radium, other scien-
tific men are trying TO find practical applica-
tions for the discoveries already made iD re-
gard TO il. DR.. Kunz suggested one in his
talk to the New-York Academy Of Science on
Monday evening. That certain minerals. nota-
bly, fuorspar. would develop a peculiar lu-
minosity under the influence of sunshine and
would occa casionally continue to glow after re-
moval to a dark place, was known genera
ton ago. Since then it has been found that
similar effects may be produced by other
agents, one of them being radium. For the
thoroughness with which Dr. Kunz and Pro-
fessor Baskerville have compared the fuor
escence and phosphorescence of such sub
stances, under the influence Of violet light.
R0ntgen rays and radium, there is probably
no precedent. Not only are the results which
they obtained highly instructive, but they jus
tify the belief that for the future Identification
of minerals OF doubtful character the newly
found agent will prove exceedingly service
able. The presence of even a small proportion
of a susceptible material in a mixture would
permit the expert to detect it.
Another possibility, outside his own imme-
diate field of research. but naturally suggested
by his recent experiments was briefly men,
toned by DR.. Kunz. 1t was conceivable, he
thought. that radium might assist in rendering
visible the blood vessels of the human body.
provided, of course. that the venture was
made in the dark. number of chemicals
among them sulphate Of quinine-have the
power of fuorescence A physician who is
widely known for his activity in the realm OF
photo therapy. DR.. W. J. Morton. has tried to
utilize that principle for remedial purposes. BY
administering a dose of the drug Just men,
TONED, waiting until il might be supposed to
be well diffused in the circulation. and then
subjeotiDg the patient TO the influence of an y
ray tube he hoped to excite huorescence with
in the blood vessels. Whether the luminosity
would be bright enough to be seen is q sep
arate question, but the hint is fascinating
With drug which would prove more respon-
sive than sulphate of quinine to such excite
ment, and with a more powerful agent than
the vacuum tube, perhaps the effect would be
more conspicuous. At any rate, it is to be
hoped that some one will follow up the clew
far enough TO discover 10 what it will lead.
Now that the world is becoming little more
accustomed to the curious behavior of radium,
more and more parallels thereto are being no.
ticed. This strange substance does two re-
markable things: it seems to throw off parti-
ton of weight, and it manifests three or four
kinds of energy. Well. the first of these opera
tions is very much like that which accounts
for duration of the scent of sandalwood and
cedar, and the second is not more mysterious
theoretically. at least-than the retention Of
magnets power for lifetime Who can ex-
plain the manifestation of attracting force by
such an object, when the latter has first been
manufactured? Who can tell why it is able to
act in the same fashion after years of con-
tinuous service? Does not this endless per-
formance of work upset the law of conserva-
ton of energy quite as much as any feature
Of the conduct of radium?
Though no consensus OF opinion has been
reached in regard to the nature of this sub
stance, the safest authorities have tentatively
adopted substantially this conclusion: If ra-
dunn is pure element, as the Curies believe
then its atoms. or a portion Of them, are I'M
dergoing sort of disintegration, which ought
to liberate energy of some form. The condi-
tion of instability which would render such a
breaking up possible is a common phenomenon
with compounds. Badly made cordite. for in
stance, undergoes a rapid transformation on
slight provocation, and develops tremendous
explosive power while the dissolution and re-
combination Of its constituents are going on
To imagine that an atom of a pure element can
be unstable is much more difficult; for with the
chemist its absolute unchangeability has loay
been fundamental belief. If 1t should tuvr
out that radium is. after all, compound. It's
characteristics would become much more in
telligible even If they were not fully explained:
but just now much confidence is felt in the
correctness of the observations which point IN
its individuality.
A momentaTy grain of hope was afforded a
few weeks ago by some observations made Inv
Mr.. Soddy. OF Montreal. First with thorium.
and afterward with radium. he noticed an
emanation which could be condensed In thr