The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-11

of some mineral yielding radium is
much to be desired.
"Radium has never been prepared in
the metallic salts. The radio-actiVity of
the pure salts is very great. Prof Cur
RE states that it is d million times as
great as that of uranium. The radium
rays will act upon d Photographic plate
in a few seconds, while uranium re-
uuires hours.
The radiations themselves are very
interesting. Prof. Becquerel observ-
ed that Il part of them are de-
iected by a magnet. This Immediate
" reminds one of the cathode rays Of
a Crookes tube, which arc similarly
DETECTED. The cathode rays are now
known to be nothing less than streams
of most minute particles, carrying
negative electricity and moving with
enormous velocities. All evidence
points to the detachable portion of the
Besquercl rays being quite the same
thing. The CURES have shown that
they also carry negative electricity.
The por ton of the Becquerel rays
which are not DETECTED by a magnet
appear to consist largely of very pene-
trating rays resembling the X-rays;
but there are also rays of a third kind,
easily absorbed.
Certain chemical changes are
brought about by the rays from radi-
UNI. Under their influence oxygen is
converted into ozone, yellow phos-
phorus into red phosphoreus glass be-
comes violet and almost black"
Prof. Charles Pellen, of the Chair
of Chemistry in Columbia UniVer4
sity, told last evening Of an even
more startling effect Prof. Besquerel
obtained from Nine. Curie, for demon
stration purposes, a very small quaint
90 ,f.o Il
putting it into little sealed test tube
he stuck the tube into the watch
pocket of his trousers, near the waist
band and carried it there until he was
ready to use it in the evening
1t remained there about six hours
The next day he noticed a slightly sore
and inflamed spot on the skin directly
under the place where he had carried
the radium. 1t developed into dan
gerous sore, which required seven
weeks to heal.
Prof. Curie was incredulous and de-
termined 70 experiment upon himself
He applied a few atoms of the sub
stance to his left arm, and nearly lost
the arm before he recovered from the
inflamed sore that followed.
Prof. Kanolt quotes Prof. Curie now
as saying that he would not venture
into room containing one kilogramme
or this substance, as 1t would prob
ably destroy his eyesight, burn off his
skin, and even kill him.
AS to the probable efficacy of the
discovery, when properly applied to the
blind. as mentioned by DR.. Lunden, of
Berlin, Prof Pellen would not venture
an opinion. I'VE know too little of its
properties here as yet" he said, but
its possibilities are doubtless very
great"
For ten years the bohemian mine,
which the Austrian government has
been working for uranium, has been
dumping the pitchbende residue out
side as worthless. Now Prof. and Nine
Curie have bought it all. Prof Pelleu
laughed last night at the cable re-
port that Prof. Markwald's atom of
polonium, weighing fifteen one-hun-
dredths of a grain, had been produced
at a cost of SIS. THAT must be an err
ror in transmission Of the message"
he said, for $500 would be nearer
the truth TO extract that small
amount of polonium from some two
thousand tons of uranium would re-
quire the work of an expert chemist,
with, At least, two good assistants for
something like a year"
Other local scientists are greatly in
terested in the announcement of Pro-
fessor and Nine. Curie's new discov-
cry.