The Monticellonian., 1904-10-13
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 beingl found in several of the large mines in the neighborhood of Butte, Mont For years the diggers employed in thet Rarus and Lexington mines have been aware of the presence of radiumiie tnI the workings and have become ac quainted with one or two of itsI pecHiarities.
 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 if IS sure cure for miners consumption" rheu matism, 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 publieI generally simply regarded it as al superstition, placing the radiumite on q plane with the buckeye and the rheumatism ring Since the discovery of radium and the tracing of 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 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 m the ore by mining men and the only good it has served has been as talis. man for the miners, who believe ln it's 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 mak 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 Guries 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 anaylsis and many tests of the ore. But aside from satisfying themselves that it possessed a trace of radioaetiyity. they could not account for the strange properties ot 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. c. 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 q number of reported cures. Almost without exception a he found, men and women who carried the mineral claimed to have derived benefits from il and could not be ridiculed out of the idea that 1t was curative as well as a preventive Then be 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 clusions to his fellow physicians and then the story of radiumite created q 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 deerepit men beg per mission 10 work where the medicine
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