The Indianapolis journal., 1903-11-15
Scientists Look Upon This New Metal
with Great Hope.

Toledo Blade.
Few discoveries of recent years have re-
ceived or merited the attention bestowed
upon the mineral radium. While the scien-
tifc world marvels at its potentiality as
each fresh experiment establishes some new
fact, the civilized nations of the earth re-
gard its more potent and easily demons
trable qualities with wonder and amaze
ment. The public looks upon the pinch of
whitish powder, exhibited in a harmless
tube of glass. new and pleasing toy to
be 5uggled with after the fashion of the
necromancers' stock In trade, but the
trained scientist looks upon radium as the
first and greatest aid in a new field of scien-
tifc investigation-namely, the isolation of
new group of elements
The New York Academy of Sciences,
meeting in the section of astronomy physics
and chemistry. devoted an evening this
week to the consideration of radium and
the phenomena of radio-activity as exhibited
by the mineral, with a comparison and
differentiation between the ultraviolet and
Roentgen rays.
George f. Kunz. the world famous gem
expert, exhibited to an enthusiastic au-
dience in one of the lecture rooms of the
Natural History Museum a sample of
radium OF 100000 activity together with
specimens of lesser strength, and demon
strated their action upon a great variety of
gems and other mineral substances. Mr..
Kunz also read an exhaustive and compre-
hensive semi-scientific paper on the action
OF the Roentgen rays, ultraviolet rays, and
radium on mineral substances. Mr. Kunz
spoke in part as follows:
"Radium was first taken from pitch
blende and uranium by NJ. Becquerel. Later
IT was isolated and experimented with by
Prof. William Ramsay, Sir William Thomp-
nc
Many experiments have been made with
1t In Montreal, although very little has
been contributed In this direction by scien-
fists in the United States.
Edward ID. Elms gave the funds to pur-
chase 12I milligrams, cne-half a carat, or
1900 of an ounce. We have one sample OF
100000 activity. and we hoped to have one
| of 100000, but II has not arrived in time
| for this meeting. We will exhibit, there
| fore. the sample of 100000 activity. one OF
| 1000 and others or ,low luminosity. 1t is
| startling to see the penetrative results OF
| radium of 100000 activity, even when In
closed in glass tube. rubber thermome-
ter case, tin box and a silver tureen COW
| cred by four heavy copper plates. A dia-
| mond placed I'm water under the tureer
phosphoresced brilliantly.
"A certain amount of discussion has
arisen between French and German investi.
| gators concerning the phenomena of radium
| Some say that TO SPEAK OF 10000 activity
sounds like hoax, and that It will never
| clare, moreover. that its activity can never
| be properly estimated.
| There are three kinds of radio-activity
| They are called Alpha, Beta and Gamma
| Alpha is absorbed by solids; Beta has more
| penetrating power, while Gamma has in
| tense penetrating power, but no electric
rays at all. Radium induces phosphorescenc,
| in minerals tested without regard to position
| or direction. There is sample of German
| radium OF great radio-activity which Is mo-
1 luminous. 1t is not the light, but the radio
| activity, which produces the effects.
| 1T Is possible that we may find two ele
| ments in radium. we find nitrogen anC
1 oxygen in the air.
"Dr Charles Baskerville and myself have
| through several months past, made a care
| full study of the complete collection Of gems
| in the Natural History Museum. The,
were all tested with radium, Roentgen ray!
| and ultraviolet rays. Willemite brough
| from Franklin, ~. j., phosphoresced unde
the influence of each of the three. Calcit
| and willenlite showed marked effects from
| exposure TO these. Thew showed a rec
! glow. The Swedish and California speci
mems phosphoresced and huoresced unde
| ultraviolet rays but not Under the Roent
| gen rays. These effects are not produces
when glass Is interposed-it is Opaque Z
these rays. The Piffard lamp was use