Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-03-04
The Discovery Of Radlum.

In any review Of the scientific events
of the year that has Just drawn to its
close ii is certain that the determine
ton of the extraordinary properties Of
radium should hold the first place both
i'm point OF fascinating interest ana OF
tar-reachiug effect The new element
possesses so many startling properties,
some of which threaten to oVcrturn our
whole system OF chemical physics, that IL
easily takes rank as the notable scientific
discovery of the twentieth century. The
story of the discovery Of the new element
is too well known for any repetition here.
Let it suffice to say that after months Of
patient research. the story Of which is
one of the most interesting in the annals
of laboratory work, NJ. Curie and his
wife succeeded in precipitating a few
crystals of salt whose properties We're
50 subVersive Of many of our accepted
theories OF force and matter as to pro-
duce a veritable panic among both mas
ters and disciples in the world of natural
physics 1t is impossible within the limits
of the present review to enter in detail
into "A description. to say nothing Of
discussion, of the new element; but there
are two Of its properties which, because
OF the fact that they seem to completely
overturn two fundamental propositions
in natural science, serve to give radium
it's chief interest. In the first place. then,
it has been proved that radum has
temperature which Is few degrees above
that Of the atmosphere and, wonderful to
relate. that it maintains this relative
temperature constantly without any SEN
sihlc loss of weight. that Is to say, the
loss of weight is SO enthusiastically small
that the figures which express it become
purely symbolical. Now. here is "A fact
| which alone was sufficient to strike
| staggering blow to one of the foundation
| pustulates of modern science, namely, the
| theory OF the conservation of energy. 1t
| was as though NJ. Curie had held up to
| the view OF the world a small fragment Of
! burning coal which burned but was never
| consumed, or was consumed so slowly
! that according to an estimate of the
| loss of weight by radium made by Bee
| querel it would take thousands Of mil
| lions Of years before it was entirely burn
| ed away. We were but just recovering
from the first rude shock. when Prof.
| Ramsay rendered confusion worse con-
! founded 10y stating that he had been able
to find in the spectrum of the gaseous
carnations of radium the characteristic
yellow line of helium. He promptly an
! nounced this discovery before a learned
society," and in the course of his ad-
dress did not hesitate to voice broadly
the thought that must have been upper
| most in the mind of his audience, when
! he exclaimed What is this but an
| actual case of that transmutation of one
element into another in which the ancient
alchemist believed?' 1t is natural that
| in the presence of these disturbing facts,
| the scientist should search for some eX-
PLANTATION which will reconcile the APP
parent contradictions, and permit our
present theories of force and matter to
remain as part of our scientific creed.
Thus it has been suggested that radium
possesses the power of intercepting and
making manifest certain invisible and
l. Of a
| that the wonderful heat phenomena dis
played by the new substance are derived
from the sun-radium playing the same
| part with regard to the sun that the
| Horoscope does to the X-rays, The mys-
| terry of the transformation of radium into
helium is more difficult of solution, and,
| indeed no explanation that is worthy of
consideration has been offered. 1t is
true. however, that the presence of the
| helium line i'm the spectra both of radium
| Vapor and the sun, and the possession by
| the ultra violet rays of the sun and of
radium rays of the same curative quail
tiles, suggest that they have common
origin. The new element emanates three
| different kinds Of rays, one of which tray
ais at the speed of 100 900 miles a second.
1t is already recognized as likely To have a
| useful place i'm the treatment of certain
diseases particularly those that lie near
the surface of the body. If animals are
exposed to its action for a few hours, il
will prove fatal, if not during the appli-
cation, at least within a measurable time
| thereafter. Its discoverer had occasion to
carry "A small tube containing radium in
his vest pocket during a journey to Lon
don; and not many days thereafter a
painful and troublesome sore developed
on the surface of the body beneath the
vest pocket. 1t renders luminous certain
precious stones, and will instantly detect
the true from the fasle diamond, the lat
ter refusing to respond to its luminous
influence, 1t is probably the most prec-
ious substance in the world today. A
few weeks ago NJ. Curie stated that it
was worth three thousand times its
weight i'm gold; today as the result of
the disclosure of its wonderful qualities
and the increasing demand for the small
est portion of it for scientific and other
purposes, its price has risen until it is now
worth five thousand times its weight In
gold. 1t is idle to speculate as to the
future. 1t will be time to do that when
we have solved the momentous scientific
problems that are presented by this, the
most wonderful of all known substances
L Scientific American.