The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-05-24
the spLeNDoRs OF RADlUM.

mittee, William II. Rhodes, whose
pseudonyme was "Caxton," wrote a
powerful story, the point OF which was
the end of the career Of conscience
stricken man, who carried in his pocket
a bottle. containing a colorless liquid
a few drops of which were sufficiently
powerful to destroy the world.
Since the discovery of radium, it al
| most seems as IL this imaginary and
t-agical possibility had become true.
1t was first extracted from pitch-blende
by a French professor and his wife. NJ.
| and Madame Curie, the latter modern
woman, scientific domestic and charm
ing. and it is now principally supplied,
fortunately in minute quantities, from
their laboratory in Paris.
The most remarkable indeed the
| characteristic, feature in radium, Is Its
| extraordinary condensation, independ-
emily of any exposure to light or heat,
of forces that are. at once life-support-
ing and destructive. Henry Becquerel
found that uranium and some other
metals gave off continuously rays like
the X-rays of Professor Roentgen,
which penetrated Opaque substances
and affected Photographic plates. These
were called "Becquerel rays and their
characteristic property was radio-activ-
ity, which was due to the radium and
polonium that uranium, for example,
contained, and which, in 1898, were
isolated and since then have been sub
jected to countless experiments. Though
far more powerful in it's effects, radium
is kindred to the Blondlot Nray.
Many conclusive evidences of the
stores of light and heat focused in this
substance have been furnished. DR..
Edwin Booth instructor of chemistry
at the University of California, was
very successful in his investigation. He |
substituted rays of radum for the ravs
of the sun, in dark room, in a man
ner that resulted in demonstration. In
two Photographic plate boxes he placed
a key a pair of scissors and com,
wrapped in light-proof paper, and over |
the boxes suspended tube, containing |
100 milligrams of radium or as much |
as could be put into the end of a thin
ble The distance between the tube and |
the ton of the boxes was half an inch,
and the rays had to pierce the two COW
ers and the paper. After an exposure OF
thirty-six hours, the key, the scissors
and the coin We're distinctly reproduced |
and the plate was developed as though |
it had been exposed to the sun.
Similar results have been accomplish |
ed in many places. Professor a. b. |
Crook, of the Northwestern University,
says that, without even extracting the |
very small quantity of radium in it but |
solely through it's presence, photographs
can be taken by pitch-blende. It's dis
tinctive capacity is illustrated by the
statement that, by its use, the entire |
population of Paris could be killed |
within a few hours or days, Sir Will |
liam Ramsay, before the Royal lnstitu-
tion in London, referred to the ennis
sion by radium of helium, supposed to
be the principal constituent of the suns
atmosphere He stated that this ennis
sion was not direct, but that heavy
gas was sent forth which slowly chang
ed to helium and then vanished, and |
that the gas could be collected in TASKS,
but would disappear within month.
This he regarded as the same process
as change of gold into iron, and, he
claimed in this way, the Inconsistency |
of the elements had been proved, and
the problem of the transmutation of
metals. which after centuries OF effort
had been abandoned, become affirma-
lively solved.
Radium is a dynamo-energy without
fuel If immersed in ice or in the in
tense cold of liquid air, 1t continues to
give out light and heat, and it is esti-
mated that this emission would last for
millions of years. AS II. c. Porter, of
Elton College, has argued, analysis has
broken down the atomic theory, and
the new discovery tends in the direc-
ton of the theory that there is one
basis of all matter of which the ele-
ments are merely visible forms.
In cancer, diabetes, diphtheria, con-
sumption and other diseases, the effect
of the use of radium has been decided,
though not uniformly successful. Pro-
lessor Frederick kohransch found
! that 1t increases the electric conduc-
| tivity of water, which II also steriliZes
and by the communication OF radio-ac-
tivity. Kills the germ OF diphtheria.
Professor Gusenbauer of Austria, In
instances OF cancerous contraction of