The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-01-14
ILLUMINATE INSIDE.
Luminous Fluid in the Veins Shows
Beating of Heart.
Method Discovered by Science for
Revealing workings of the In
ner Human Being with
Aid of Radium.

Ala OF tnufufh.
Think of introducing into your veins
substance that will illuminate all the
tissues of your body, enabling an OBJ
server in dark room to see the beating
of your heart the coursing of the blood
through your arteries, and even the most
intimate circumstances of your lungs
and liver! 1t is the next miracle prom
Used by science, and the wonder-worker
in this case is the newly discovered
metal radium, says the Chicago Record
Herald.
The X-rays, first identified by Roent-
gen, made it possible to see, and even to
photograph the bony framework OF the
body of a living person. They have en-
abled physicians to locate and determine
the character of fractures, as well as to
find bullets and other foreign bodies i'm
bedded in the flesh. But great as Is
their value for such purposes. 1t is OF
small account compared with that of "a
ready means whereby the vital parts
and circulatory systems of human be-
ing may be exposed to view for medical
study and the diagnosis of disease.
1t is necessary, before going further,
to explain that George T. Kunz, famous
as an expert in precious stones, and Df.
Charles Baskerville have discovered
that radium-itself only slightly lumin-
ous-can be transformed into brilliant
source of light by mixing It with certain
cheap mineral salts. The light in ques-
ton seems to be the long-sought illu-
minant without heat, and produced
without appreciable expenditure OF
energy or exhaustion of material. Hence
1t costs almost nothing, resembling in
the fireny. which was declared many
years ago by Prof. s. p. Langley to be
the light of the future.
Radium. as above stated, is not in it.
self much of light giver. But MIR.
Kunz and Dr. Baskerville have ascer-
tanned that certain chemical salts, such
as sulphide of calcium. become, when
mixed with it. brilliantly luminous.
This seems to be true of quite number
of substances. particularly some kinds
OF diamonds. but the stuff that responds
most strikinely is a silicate of zinc,
called "willemite'-a cheap material
which may be dug by thousands of tons
out of known deposits in New Jersey.
''Willemite," says Mr. Kunz, be
comes luminous at the approach of
radium as if it were fairy wand"
He suggests that there is no reason
why the brilliantly luminous mixture of
radium and willemite, finely powdered,
should not be converted into a solution
and injected into the veins of human
being, whose tissues, as the substance is
carried through them by the blood,
would be illuminated so as to make visi-
BILE every detail Of physical structure.
Anything that was not normal, in the
way of tumor or what not, could be
promptly located, and the stomach and
intestines would be lighted up" as one
might say, so clearly that whatever
might be wrong with them would be i'm
mediately obvious.
1t has occurred to Mr.. Kunz that such
q luminous powder might be given by a
physician to patient with food, or on
an empty stomach, in order TO watch the
working of the digestive organs and to
ascertain if anything was wrong with
them. In this way many cases of dys-
pepsia might be traced to obscure causes
and cured.
Mr.. KunZ examined more than $1,000
diamonds, and from this number chose
A of the blue-white color, because the
carbon stones Of that tint appeared to
respond most markedly to the lumini-
ferrous action of radlum. After being
placed near a bit of radium for so sec
onds the selected gems phosphoresced
brilliantly and continued to glow for a
long time. 1t was evident that they con-
tanned a large percentage of the sensi-
tive and Illuminating ingredient, the
nature of which, though it occurs in SO
many different minerals, is as yet mys-
terry. Mr.. Kunz believes that he is on
the track of it, but as yet he has been
unable TO identify it.
OF certainty it is not the radium tha,
gives the light. What, then, is the
source of it? One can only say, in reply
that number of different mineral sub
stances appear to contain it, and that
when these substances are brought near
to a bit of radium they instantly be-
come lumlnescent. Obviously, then, the
problem in hand is to identify the mys,
terious ingredient. and separate It,
When this has been accomplished we
shall have, for all time TO come, indefn.
lite supplies of light without heat and
without appreciable cost.
But, it will be objected, radium is
extremely eXpensive-the most costly
substance, indeed, in the world. True
but it will be cheap before very long. Ii
is dear to-day only because 1t is a new
discovery, and for the reason that only
one source Of supply has been ascer.
tanned as yet-namely, pitchblende
Chemists are searching all creation for
It, and 1t is sure to be found soon In
quantities sufficient to furnish as much
at a moderate price as mankind has any
use for
A MoIeskin Coat.
If n takes 700 nolesl<ins IN mako a