Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
RADIUM AND CANCER.
Gaseous Emanation From the Element
as Germicide.

From the New York Tribune.
The seemingly good effect of treating
cancer with radum at the Flower Hospital
in this city, reported yesterday. is inter-
estsng chiefly on account of the method
adopted for using the remedy. A fluid So
luton (probably of the bromide of rad um)
was applied to thin sheets of cellulo.d and
the latter were then placed in contact with
the diseased area. Hitherto the favorite. il
not the sole, mode of procedure has been
to inclose the dry salt in a tiny glass tube.
The belief was once expressed by Mr..
Soddy. an EngliShman who has been active
in the investigation of the nature of ra-
dunn, that the gaseous emanation from
that element might be employed as q germ
icide in fighting tuberculosis, the product
being inhaled by the patient. So far as we
are aware. the hint has not been followed
up; and 1t is doubtful whether immersion
in a gas would prove a convenient or eff
fective plan in dealing with cancer. Again
whatever be the merit of f1uorescence which
is excited by radium. it is to be observed
that the remedial influence in that case is
exerted by form of light, and that the
fadium acts indirectly, not directly. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether the new manner
or utilizing the substance the discovery of
which by the Curies created such a sensa-
ton is really superior to the old one: but
the mere enlargement OF the number of
ways of doing so is noteworthy
In addition to the heat emitted by and
the gas evolved from radium that element
throws off three distinct kinds of particles
designated. respectively, by the first three
letters of the Greek alphabet. The gam
ma rays appear to be Identical in char
acter with those first observed by Roent-
gen as a product of the vacuum tube These
have the power of acting chemically on a
Photographic plate and of developing a
rant luminosity upon a screen which has
been coated with suitable compounds Wis
ual eXamlnatl ton of the interior of the body
by surgeon and the making of a perma-
nent picture of the situa ton therein are
two of the practical services rendered by
the X rays. Before they were used rene
daily they had proved exceedingly helpful
in diagnosis.
When Professor Barker, who fills the
chair of physics in the University of Penn
syivania, learned that radium possessed the
same properties as, but was more powerful
than, the X-ray tube he pointed out that the
new element would prove valuable substi-
tute therefor. His forecast has been yeri-
ned on a more extensive scale than he then
imagined. At least four or five years ago
success began to attend experiments with
Roentgen rays in fighting cancer whereas
the earlier attempts had usually ended in
failure. In Boston, Atlanta and other
American cities encouraging results were
reported in 1901. 1t was natural therefore
to employ radium for the same purpose
when that substance became procurable
commercially, it was about two years
ago. Being more potent and more com
pact than the vacuum tube. wider field
OF usefulness seemed to be open to it. Even
II no benefit was derived from other prod
ucts than the gamma" rays it's larger
capacity for generating these was an obvi-
Gus recommendation. There was also a
probability that it could be applied inter-
nally as well externally direct contact
between the diseased tissue and the source
of the radiation having been deemed essen
tial. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor
of the telephone, was one of the first per-
sons to recognize the latter advantage and
to direct the attention of the medical pro-
fession to it.
AS yet it is wise to cherish only modest
expectations in regard to the future of both
the vacuum tube and radium. They co not
now give any assurance of suitability to
large proportion of cases. A limited num-
Der of malignant growths. eligibly situated
for reatment and taken in hand at an
early stage of their history. have been re-
Heved by these means. For many more
surgery is the only resource 1t will be
practicable ten years hence to estimate the
value of these agencies more accurately
than 1t is now. especially If new methods
of applying them are devised from time to
time.