The sun., 1903-09-13

NV" ~ CoHsullnR eleCtrlCaI engineer In
this city. He obtained, over month ago,
one OF the most powerful samples Of radium
IN this country. Taking the radio-activty
OF uranium as the unit. the most powerful
sample he has is Of 100000 radio-activity.
Another sample, said to he of the same
radio-activity, has just been imported by
Edward ID. Adams for the American Mu-
scum OF Natural History, There it will be
used by George F. Kunz. the Tiffany gem
expert. and DR., Charles Baskerville of the
University Of North Carolina. One of their
tasks will be the examination Of different
gems by the powerful radium rays.
These two samples are said to be the
only ones Of so high radio-activity in
America. Up to a short time ago the
greatest radio-activity Of any sample sent
to this country was 1000. In fact, Prof.
Curie, whoae laboratory hns turned out the
greatest number Of powerful samples OF
radi,lm. has carefully refraned from send
ing out many Of high radio-activity. pre-
ferring to keep them for his own expert
ments.
RADIUM VERY DANGEROUS
II an account of what radi,m is and how
much, or, rather, how little, there ia Of it
is of interest, It's ossibilities are Of even
greater Importance. Only corner Of the
curtain has been lifted from the great field
which scientific men predict will be opened
as investigator after investigator dis
covers new properties Of radium.
Not half TIE story has been told vet 1"
said Mr.. Hammer. ANY substance pos
sessing 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 lightning in that
direction is small it is highly promising.
The thing. however. upon which all
in connect ion with the Use of radium
is that it is very dangerous even in hands
comparatively skilled.
The effect of radium rays is not felt
quickly, but when the effect is felt it is
felt with 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 couple of weeks, without
feeling anything out of the ordinary, and
then wakes up TO the fact that he has re-
ceived terrible burn.
Mr. Hammer has had one such experience
and if he can avoid repetition OF it he
will thank his good fortune. While attend
ing a meeting of the American Academy
for the Advancement of Science In Washing
ton not long ago he had occasion to carry
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 bottles were wrapped In cotton and
were all put in a wooden box Without
thinking just what he wes doing, Mr. Ham
nler carried this box under his arm for
several hours.
He noticed 20 effect at the time and, as
a matter of fact, didn't think anything
about it until two weeks later. Then he
suddenly felt a sore spot on his side right
under his arm,
1t wasn't very painful at first. but the
pain increased rapidly, and in q short time
was so interse that he could not bear the
touch of finger upon the sore spot
Until he had suffered somewhat for two
days the ca use of the trouble did not occur
to Mr.. Hammers mind. The soreness
lasted for more than month. Luckily
the b,lrn-for such it really was was not
followed by any serious complication.
PROF. cuRIE HIMSELF BURNED.
quite a number Of instances are recorded
OF the serious character of the radium
burns" said Mr.. Hammer "In talking
once with Prof. Curie asked him whether
he had ever seen kilo of radium He said
he hadnt-that less than half that amount
had as yet been produced
II 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,
bum all the skin eff my body and probably
kill me- he said
Prof 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 it
was due TO a radilim burn That, he said had
taken fifty-two days to heal. Another
pos,lre of only five minutes to some radium
of very high activity, bore the traces OF
blister and slight roughness,
The scar which had taken so long to
heal had been caused by an exposure of
an hour and a half to radium whose radio
activity was about five thousand. 1nvesti-
cation has shown conclusivey, accord
irg to NJ Becquere, that the longer the
exposure and the higher the radio activity
the worse is the resulting burn
MIGHT sLAY WITH RADIUM
Mr.. Hammer, who has been actively
continuing his investigat ions. begun two
years ago, has been making some inter-
asting z experiments as to the effect OF radium
on animals, fish, insects and bacteria. He
has also carried on Il number Of expert
ments on human beings.
II a man works near radium for short
time and then attempts experiments with
delicate apparatus. he will find that he and
his clothes have absorbed enough radio
activity TO send needles and pointers all
askew Those who work with the power
ful substance have found II very difficult
tn keep their Instruments free from the
spreading radio-ac.ivity
For several months Mr.. Hammer kept
his specimens of radium III "a pasteboard
box, The box WIS smashed finally 80 that
IL couldn't be used As "A receptacle any
longer, and Mr., Hammer tore il up.
Six days after that he noticed that the
Dieoes were slightly luminous Three weeks
,.y. NJ, Ha pTper In big "KadiIim