The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-02-27
WORTH ONE MILLION DOLLARS PER
POUND.
Radium, the New Mineral Which Has
Created Sensation In the Scientific
World.
Greenville Herald.

! discovered, can now be bought Tor
5000, 900 pound, the price having
been reduced from one million.
Radium is scientific sensation.
1t is said to be the most important
discovery in the last generation and
! epochal III the history of science.
Briefly described, it is powder, a
combination of metals, which gives
off light almost as strong as the
light Of the SUN 1t is far ahead of
Roentgen rays. the scientific sensa-
tion of six years ago, as these rays
are ahead of twilight. When the
so-called X-rays scientists actually
photographed the bones of living
persons, laymen wele awed. This
accomplishment would be the merest
Child's play toy radium With it
photographs can be taken through
three feet Of iron or foot of lead.
Its value to surgery, to medical
science, and physical science can
not even be approximated. To
modern scientific research it is what
the discovery of the telescope was to
astronomy. One wee bit of the
metal is in New York 1t was
brought there by a leading electri-
cal engineer and scientist. He Oh.
tanned his portion from the discov-
ercr in Paris, and, being only as
much as one can hold between the
thumb aud forehnger, is worth 800
He, in combustion with leading
surgeons is making experiments
which promise to be of inestima,
bic benefit to medicine. Expert
ments are also being made in Paris,
Berlin and Rome
| With its rays, which escaped
through many thick wrappers, the
New York man took a photograph
in a closed and almost lcrmeticallv
sealed trunk. In dark room it
glows like PHOSPHORUS Carried
III ones pocket, it causes blister
on the body, exactly like sunburn
! The strength of the pure metal is
almost be> Ond belief. Prot. Curic
Of Paris, the disCoverer, saws he
would not dare to trust himself in
a room with kilo of pure radium,
as it would, without doubt, destroy
his eyes, burn all the skin off his
body, and perhaps cause instant
death. From carrying small me.
| tallC case, containing a small bit Of
the metal, under his arm, he sus-
tanned burn which was fifty days
il healing.
1t requires no exposure to light
to become incandescent, and will
glow for years. and will cause other
substances to become radio. active.
1t is r white crystalline powder,
which in the light looks inohensive
and harmless. but when in the dark
gloWs like steel melted to it's high
est pitch. And whether it be in
daylight or dark, it is constantly
sending out the rays. which can
pierce three feet of iron, take pho
tographs in closed trunks, and burn
through metallic cases. 1t will re-
tain its full strength perpetually.
Its ray = travel almC t as fast as sun
light
The metal could, of course, be |
used for heating, generating power,
or for dozen things, but until the |
cost is reduced somewhat from the |
present price. it is not likely that it |
will be used extensively for any
thing Its ultimate uses will be as |
an aid to surgeons. physicians and |
medical practitioners, and to each
of them, it is said, it will be an in
valuable assistant Doctors predict
that it may prove efficacious for the
treatment of many diseases which
now run their course practically
undisturbed by the best treatment.
Leading scientists are looking with
anxiety to the results of expert
ments being made with the singular
metal. New York physicians hope
to be able to make the first an
nouncement. They are hard at
! work
Caution
This is not gentle word-but when