Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-02-19
RADfUM IN MEDICINE.
The Possibly Wide Field in which
Its Marvellous Agency
May he Used.

The marvellous properties of radium
have made 1t a matter of wide interest
to almost every one, but to the medical
man its possible value as a therapeutic
agent renders it a subject of special i'm
portance. Already many investigators
are turning their attention to the treat
ment of various forms of disease by
means of radium, and many fields have
been proposed as promising ones for in
yestigation of its action, writes DR..
Samuel G. Tracy, in the New York Med
Ical journal.
For instance, emong the various dis
eases in which it has been tried may be
mentioned certain malignant growths,
such as epithelicma and other super
fetal cancers, lupus, certain skin dis
eases, blindness from atrophy of the OPP
tic nerve, etc. Its effect upon micro
organisms ard fermentation, as we'll as
its likely action upon The tissues and
fluids Of the. body, suggests that, if it
could be harmlessly introduced into the
system, a vast field of positive useful
ness lies before it.. To take its effect
upon micro-organisms first: AS we
have stated, it is admitted to have a very
considerable %inhibitory effect upon the
functional activity of various bacteria,
molds, ETC., and it is at any rate possible
that it may possess a ike effect upon
protocol. This at once suggests a value
for it's systematic employment, should
such be practicable.
Now, the property possessed by
radium of imparting its activity to vari-
Gus Auids, e. g., normal saline solution,
seems to offer reasonable ground for
hope that, in this way, it may be thera-
POLITICALLY administered internally, and
the fight against bacterial disease be
waged directly in the tissues affected.
through the agency of the blood and
lymph circulations and the various in
ternal secretions. +
Another diseased condition in which
the induced radioactive salt solution is
likely to prove of service is fermenta-
tive, gastro-intestinal indigestion, with
it's long train of symptoms due to auto
intoxication. It is also hoped that the
"radium fluid" will have a favorable eff
feet on malignant disease of the stom-
ach and intestine.
AS to local employment, that is al
ready under investigation, for radium
has met with more or less success in
many superficial diseased conditions.
Its local use, however, will be found far
more convenient if we can get the de-
sired results by the employment Of the
induced radioactive salt solution. By
this method we can use it as q local APP
plication on congresses, in sprays,
gargles, inhalations, collyria, etc.
In its use in surgical dressings, COM
presses can be saturated with this
solution and applied over large areas
which could not be- reached by the
radium rays.
AS a spray it will be found useful in
catarrhal affections of nose, throat and
lungs, by coating the membranes with
a fine film of radioactive matter. This
active matter is antiseptic and will re-
main in the tissues for several hours.
fhe radioactivity of this active matter
may be intensified by exposing the pa
tient to the ultraviolet rays, and by the
internal use of quinine. RI
While all these possibilities of the use
of radium fluid may not be borne out by
actual clinical experience, nevertheless,
owing to the already known properties
of radium and induced radioactive SUBJ
stances, 1t is certainly worth while to
try them-especially in pathological
conditions which are not amenable to
other forms of treatment.