The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-03-11
RAD|UM TO END
THE WHITE PLAGUE
Friend Of King Edward Gives
Donation to Start Royal
Institute
REMARKABLE CURES ACHIEVED
Experimental and Curative Work Con.
templated-Sir Frederick Treves at
Radium from Cornish Pitchbienae.

London. Sir Frederick Treves,
sergeant-surgeon to the King and con
sulting surgeon OF the London Hospi.
al, cited in lecturng at that hospital
some interesting instances of radium
cures he mad witnessed, including vas.
;uchelcids, rodent ulcers and epithe.
Liomata
He said it was almost uncanny to
zee the rapid manner in which radium
sometime accomplished healing
after the first application, say on Mon.
day, nothing happens until bout Fri.
lay, when the skin suddenly becomes
ted and irritable. Then a sort OF
3rus. forms. which comes away IN
Two or three weeks.
About month later there is a sec.
md application OF radium after which
n many cases the patien does not
need to see a>physician again.
Sir Frederick pointed out that one
II the greatest uses Of radium in the
'uture might re jult from it's curious
,adioact.ve emanations. He described
low penny enclosed in a jar with
N unsealed VIA Of radium became it.
'elf radioactive; if the penny were
removed and washed w..h nitric acid
Is radioactivit' was transferred to
he latter while the penny was no
.onger radioactive.
As an instanc, of possible future
isefulness the lecturer told how
~f
vas injected into a mouse suffering
rom an artifically induced abdominal
;ancer. The result was that the
yowtn entirely disappeared. 1t would
,e mistake to rely too much or this
n similar cases out they were very
suggestive. 1t was conceivable that
lung diseases might some day be
,oond curable by inhalng radioac-
i've emanation or vapor.
4 charter will shortly be granted
establishing the Royal British Radium
lnstttute. The institute will carry on
ssearch work AMI will also have
aedical departilen. eventually for the
reatment of cases to which expert.
1ent has shown the radiu..I cure is
spplicable
The foundatlo. of the institute in
ghich King Edward has taken the
reatest personal Interest has been
lade possible by handsome dona.
ION from Ernest Cassel who is an in.
innate friend OF the King Its work
ill probably be carried on with the
clip of the Imperial Cancer Research
'und.
The new institutes council will in.
'ude Sir Frederick Treves, MD, ser
sant-physician to the King; Sir vii.
am Ramsay, M. D., and Joseph John
,homson, professor of physics at the
.oyal Institution.
The scarcity of radium and the ex.
'eme difficulty of obtaining it since
ustria forbid its expectation have led
the formation of a private syndi.
lite here for the purpose Of exploiting
ie pitchblende deposits in the Tren.
18th copper mine in Cornwall. Homes
re entertained of producing radium
lerefrom as commercial commodi.
~ enabling scientists and physicians
become Independent of foreign SUD.
lies.
Before the discovery of radium the
!tchblende from the Trenwith mine
'as thrown away tier the copper and
'anium mad been extracted. The
ssidues are being collected now and
,dium seeking will begin forthwith
ne mine belongs to /, company in
'hich some South African mining
'ncerns are interested. and 5000 900
tpital has already been found fer the
sw enterprise, for which public sub.
riptions will not be asked.
Physicians here wishing to expert.
ent with ra1ium are mainly depend.
1t on tubes of the material which
iey hire from three or four Wholesale
uggists at lxed tariff. 1t is ssti.
ated that the efficacy of the radium
these tubes will endure for at least
1000 years.