River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-10-27
NEW RHEUMATISM REMEDY
Ore Found in Montana Mines Believed
by Miners to Be Possessed of
Medicinal Virtue.

| Radiumite, the new designation
| given to a strange mineral possessing
peculiar medicinal properties, is being
| found in several of the large mines
in the neighborhood of Butte, Mont.
! For years the diggers employed in the
| Rarus and Lexington mines have been
aware of the presence of radiumite in
| the workings and have become ac-
| quainted with one or two of it's
peculiarities.
/ They called it medicine ore" and
rheumatism rock" says the Chicago
Chronicle, and have been in the habit
of carrying bits of it in their pockets
at all times. They believe it is sure
cure for miners consumption, rheu-
matisn, stomach ailments, kidney dis
ease and various nervous disorders.
| Although the miners themselves
! have had implicit faith in the heal
! ing properties of the ore for many
years, Butte doctors and the public
generally simply regarded it as a
superstition, placing the radiumite on
plane with the buckeye and the
rheumatism ling. Since the discovery
of radium and the tracing of a re-
lationship between it and radiumite
scientists and others have been able
to account for the curative properties
of Montana's medicine stones
The Butte medicine ore possesses
the strange quality of emitting a
brilliant light under slight friction by
some metallic substance, or even with
a fingernail. The light is called
"cold fire. because there is absolute
ly no heat to it, and it's displays are
more brilliant under water than out of
it. No value has ever been found in
the ore by mining men and the only
good it has served has been as tails
man for the miners, who believe IN
its curative virtues, and as specimens
! for mineral cabinets, for which it was
much sought and often commanded
! very high prices.
While the Paris scientists were max
ing their wonderful experiments with
radium it occurred to a Rarus miner
that the little Jumps OF medicine ore"
might contain the rare element dis
! covered by the Curies and in that
way account for the cures and the
faith of the miners. He spoke to
several Butte chemists about it and
they took sufficient interest in the mat
ter to make a careful ANALYSIS and
many tests of the ore. But aside from
satisfying themselves that it possessed
trace of radioactivity, they could not
account for the strange properties of
the mineral in other respects
Finally specimens of the ore were
sent to Paris and other great labora-
tories, but while reports were being
awaited from them DR.. G. D. Bryant
of Butte became interested in the story
of the miner and he conducted a series
of experiments along an entirely diff
ferent line, prompted onl-- by curl
osity.
He wondered if there was any basis
for the belief of the miners that the
medicine ore" could cure anything
and he began an investigation of a
number of reported cures. Almost
without exception, as he found, men
and women who carried the mineral
claimed to have derived benefits from
1t ana cOulQ not ne TlulCul0u Out VI
the idea that it was a curative as we'll
as a preventive. Then he made tests
on patients of his own, with results
that puzzled and astonished him if
they did not convince him. He made
report of his Investigations and con-
illusions to his fellow physicians and
then the story of radiumite created a
sensation. Since then doctors and
scientists from all parts of the world
have taken an interest in it, and many
have visited Butte to investigate for
themselves.
The people of Butte are beginning
to take an extraordinary interest in
the search for the new medicine.
Miners have given up positions to
search for the ore, and superintend-
ents of several mines where it has been
found are besieged with applicants for
Jobs. Sick and decrepit men beg per-
| mission to work where the medicine
ore is deposited.
SECRET POLICE IN FRANCE