Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-02-18
Rsdium, Diamonds and Cancer.

operating rooms of DR.. William James
Morton, No. l9 East Twenty-eighth
street, by DR.. George Frederick Kunz
the gem expert, DR.. Morton, who is
professor of electro-therapeutics of the
Post Graduate Medical School and
Hospital, also talked on the treatment
of diseases by the X-ray, radium and
ultraviolet rays.
DR.. Kunz first told of the discovery
of radium in Paris, and said though
many had declared the discovery ac-
cidental, scientific men always knew
about what they were doing or trying
to do. DR.. Kunz first told of the
many interesting qualities of pitch
blende taken from Pribram, Austria
which had, be explained, many of the
properties possessed by radium. 1t
was sent to him from Paris by NJ and
Nine. Curie, and is said to be the only
specimen in the country.
Then the room was da arkened, after
DR.. Kuuz had taken from his pocket
a small piece of radium, about half
the size of bird shot. Itwas OF l00,-
900 activity, he said, and cost several
months ago nearly $500
The radium was in a glass tube and
the tube in slightly larger one of
rubber. DR.. Kunz took from an IN
side pocket the "Tlffanyite diamond,
weighing over fifteen carats and val
ued at about 500 900 Diamonds, he
explained, were peculiarly susceptible
to the activity of radium. He then
held the little rubber tube about two
inches from the diamond, and it glow
ed like phosphorus.
The radium was next placed IN a
larger rubber tube, then lnclosed in a
brass tube fully a third Of an inch,
and finally in a heavy section Of lead
pipe, but no sooner was the lead pipe
containing the radium placed near
the diamond than it Immediately
glowed like tiny incandescent light.
1t would just as easily, DR.. Kunz said,
penetrate through foot of solid iron.
The diamond was finally placed in a
glass of water, where it shone beauti-
fully.
Dr. Kunz next showed how the
diamond would glow in much the
same manner when placed near the
pitchblende, or actinium belium, the
metal which some scientists think may
bring about transmutation of metals
The "bombardment" of radium was
finally shown by means Of the spin
thariscope, and it looked like a tiny
Roman candle throwing off a myriad
ofsparks. The "spinthariscope' Is an
instrument invented by Sir William
Crookes to make visible certain effects
of the radiation from radium.
DR. Kunz eaid he thought that in
time radium of an extremely high ac-
tivity would be made, perhaps of l,
100000 activity, but as yet 1t could
not be had. At the present prices
an ounce of radium of 100000 ac-
tivity would be worth over 81 l,OOo,-
600, but be thought in time it would
be much cheaper.
DR.. Morton then told Of radlum III
medical treatment. Often disease
was cured, he said, without assistance,
and he told of cures he had effected
by stopping all medicines. There was
be also said, tendency for purely
physical treatment. The X ray had
accomplished much in skin diseases.
he said, and now that it was known
that consumption could be cured by
simply sleeping out of dOors, every
medical man was anxious to take up
any purely physical treatment.
DR.. Morton showed a number Of
tubes of water, in which were smaller
tubes of radlum, Of 1000 activity.
To the patient quinine was given
and then the water containing the sc-
tivities of the radium, or water with
the radium e1citation, and its bene-
fetal results were evident. That the
water would absorb the e1citation and
hold it, DR.. Morton said, was certain.
Placed in the dark the water would
glow, showing the activities in it. As
a matter of fact, DR. Morton said it
was really Liquid sunshine, and in
this manner be accounted for the 90
called medical qualities Of many
springs. Activities of radium had
been found in the water Of the springs
at Bath, England, and the curative
power was doubtless due in all springs
to some such agent.
The idea of using water in which
emanations from radium were caught
was suggested last year by British
:..;o,,or Mr Coddv