The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-09-27
MARVELS OF RADIUM.
GREATEST PUZZLE WITH WHICH
SCIENCE HAS TO DEAL,

%Su'Uou-Very Dangerous to Handle.
A fresh announcement just made to
the Academy of Sciences in Paris by
monsieur Curie, co-discoverer with his
wife of the most extraordinary of all
chemical elements, radium, brings the
wonderful properties of that substance
once more TO public attention. Radi-
UNI, whose existence as an independent
element was finally demonstrated last
year, presents about the greatest puz-
zle with which science has to deal It
seems to violate-although no scen-
list is prepared to admit that it actu-
ally does violate-the fundamental
laws OF energy. In word 1t gives
out energy, increasingly without re-
Vealing the source. II appears to draw
upon an inexhaustible supply, and yet
receives nothing in return from with
out. In this respect il seems TO realize
the dream, which science has pro-
nounced impossible, of perpetual mo-
ton.
M. Curie's new announcement is to
the effect that piece of radium is con-
tinually giving off heat, keeping itself
at temperature of 2 ITO degrees Fab
renheit above its surroundings. This
is sufficient to enable 1t to melt its own
weight in ice in less than an hour and
to keep on melting ice at the same rate
indefinitely
II radium were an abundant sub
stance, think of the consequences of
this strange property! But unfortu-
nately-or, perhaps fortunately-radi-
UNI is one of the rarest things upon
the earth. 1t is never found in the
pure state. II must be ASSOCIATED
from the other substances with which
it is combined, by long, tedious and
costly chemical operations 1t is OBJ
tanned from a mineral called pitch
blende, found in Bohemia, and during
the two or three years that have
elapsed since its discovery by Nine.
and M. Curie of Paris they have sue
ceeded in separating out of tons and
tons of pitchblende less than two
pounds of radium. That is all that ex-
lists, uncombined, in the world, and
even that is not the pure thing. 1t is
mingled with more or less barlum.
The Curies do possess, however, one
tiny bit of chemically pure radium. 1t
weighs about half grain, and Is said
TO be of the size of a buckshot. NJ
Curie has declared that he would not
sell 1t for 1907 francs If he and his
wife have a monopoly OF this precious
substance they are not getting rich out
of 1t. The demand is not active. Half
grain of impure radium in little
tube is offered in Paris for $4,000.
A thief who should run off with a
bit of radium as big as small dia-
mond would find that he had caught a
Tartar. If he kept it in his pocket, 1t
would produce an inflammation that
might cost him his life. If he held it
near his eyes, he could easily lose his
sight If he handled 1t much, his fin
' 8 srsallda sore, and mightshayes
to be amputateo. M. Curie is quoted
.-as-saying that he would not venture
into a room containing a kilogram of
pure radium; for, II he did, he would
probably lose his skin, his eyesight
and hi{ life!
This being so. let us examine lit
tie more the properties of radium. We
have noted NJ Curie's recent announce
ment about It's giving off heat. 1t
gives off light also. Pure radium
shines in the dark, although It is not
rot like flame But, most wonderful
Of all, it constantly projects into space
around it streams of invisible corpus
cles, smaller than atoms with a veloci-
ty as great as hundred thousand
miles per second!
1t is this marvellous and ceaseless
bombardment of its surroundings that
makes radiurn so dangerous to handle
The infinitely minute particles Gun
not, of course, be seen. but they affect
Photographic plates, and it was in that
manner that the existence of these in-
applicable radiating streams was first
demonstrated.
Radium Is omnivorous in its appe-
lite for obscure and mysterious PROF.
critics. Not content with its penetrat-
ing streams of pulyerized atoms. It
gives off. at the same time. at least
=,
Of these resembles the ordinary X
rays from q Crookes tube, the other
consists Of something that is easily
stopped or absorbed by interposed OBJ
stacles. But even these absorbable
rays have the tremendous velocity of
$4,000 or 10000 miles per second
NJ. Curie's bucRshot of pure radlum
s1 L.,
the sun, 1t draws no light, no heat no
energy, from surrounding space but ii
radiates them generally and continu-
ously upon everything about it. Helm
holtz solved that riddle for us many
years ago The sun is no perpetual
motion machine and 1t violates no law
known to science. BY the gradual.
and to us imperceptible. shrinking of
its gigantic bulk it generates the en-
ergy that it gives on A somewhat
similar explanation has been offered to
account for the mysterious energy OF
radium Messrs. Rutherford and Me.
Chung of the McGill university. sugses,
that It is the breaking down of tho
atoms into the smaller corpuscles tina.
are radiated away which gives rise to-
the energy whose expenditure withous
apparent source of supply so puzzles us.
In few years it may be found that
radio-activity is common phenome,.
non In nature. playing a part even
in things that concern our own well
fare, of which we are now unaware.
But iridium is its chief source. so far as
is yet known. and the study of this
singular element may lead to a wide
reimbursement of scientific theories
Garrett P. Serviss, in Golfers Weekly.