The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-27
CHARACTERISED OF RADIUM.
A Dangerous Substance of Which Lit
tie Is Yet known.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
In an account of what radium is and
how much, or, rather, how little, there is
or 1t is OF interest, its possibilities are of
of the curtain has been lifted from the
great field which scientific men predict will
be opened as investigator after Investigator
discovers new properties of radium.
Not half the story has been told yet"
said Mr.. Hammer. ANY substance pos
sessng the inherent merit of radium is,
in my estimation, bound to meet with i'm
portant commercial applications sooner or
later. 1t has already been used in medi-
cine, and although the beginning in that
direction is small it is highly promising"
scientists at present lay mos most " emphasis
In connection with the use OF radium
is that 1T is very dangerous, even in hands
comparatively skilled.
The effect of radium rays is not felt
quickly, but when the effect is felt 1t is
felt with a vengeance. There is something
uncanny in the experience of a man who
faces radium rays for hardly much more
than several minutes, goes away, resumes
other work for a couple OF weeks, without
feeling anything out of the ordinary, and
then wakes up, to the fact that he has re-
ceived a terrible burn.
Mr. Hammer has had one such experience
and II he can avoid repetition of il he
will thank his good fortune. While attend
ing meeting Of the American Academy
for the Advancement of Science in WASH
ington not long ago he had occasion to car
ry seven tubes containing radium and two
of polonium between his hotel and the con-
vention hall.
The tubes were of glass and Theoretically
sealed and were in small glass bottles.
These bottle were wrapped I'm cotton and
were all put in wooden box. Without
thinking just what he was doing. Mr.. Ham,
mer carried this box under his arm for
several hours.
He noticed no effect at the time and. as
a matter of fact, didn't think anything
about 1t until two weeks later. Then he
suddenly felt sore spot on his side right
under his arm.
1t wasn't very painful at first but the
pain increased rapidly and in short time
was so intense that he could not bear
Until he had suffered somewhat for two
days the cause of the trouble did not occur
to Mr.. Hammers mind. The soreness
lasted for more than a month. Luckily
the burn-for such 1t really was-was not
followed by any serious complication.
Quite a number of instances are re-
corded of the serious character of the
radium burns" said Mr.. Hammer. I'm
talking once with Professor Curie / asked
him whether he had ever seen a kilo of
radium. He said he hadn't-that less than
half that amount had yet been produced.
:" should not care to trust myself in
the same room with kilo Of it, he said
Il asked him why.
Because it would destroy my eyesight,
buIn all the skin of my body and probably
Professor Curie spoke from experience.
He showed Mr.. Hammer the evidence
scars on his arm and hand. One of these
looked as If he had had a very serious
ulcer, and 1t was due to a radium burn.
That he said, had taken f1fty-two days to
heal. Another scar. which had been
caused by an exposure of only five min
utes to some radium Of very high activity.
bore the traces Of a blister and slight
roughness.
The scar which had taken so long to
heal had been caused by an exposure of
an hour and half to radium whose RADIO
activity was about five thousand IIivesti-
CATION has shown conclusively, accord
ing to NJ. Becquerel. that the longer the
exposure and the higher the radio-activity
the worse is the resulting burn