The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-13
fchicaro TrihnnaA

H~OunCennenI tn0t recent experiments
with injections Of radium into the
fessors to believe that this wonderful
element is to become the basis Of q
real elixir Of life. An old horse into
whose jugular vein were injected four
milifgrams OF radium on two occa.
sions began to show signs Of rejuven-
alton.
The animal became frisky, took on
flesh and was easily mistaken for a
still young and valuable animal. An.
alysis OF the blood showed an In
creased proportion Of strong red glo-
bules. The whole animal. says Prof
Gabriel Petit, who conducted the ex-
periments, showed a surprising radio
activity, and the blood revealed the
presence Of considerable sulphate OF
radium.
Without making or limiting Of rash
promises the French scientists. who
have been largely instrumental in the
development Of the now highly effec-
tive antitoxin serums. announced
horses. The action Of radium on the
animals was first to be observed. and,
If found beneficial in revitalizing and
rebuilding tissues. the professors were
slowly to i%noculate the horse with
the mysterious new element until a
radioactive serum might be drawn
from its blood.
Such a serum could be administer
ed to the human being. as are the
common smallpox and diphtheria
v%accines today. in the hope that tissue
might be scftened and revitalized and
the blood vessels held back from the
with advancing age. and finally ends
In sentlity and death. There 10 moth
ing extravagant in these hopes. Full
ly they have not been realized, but
already 1t has been demonstrated that
direct injections Of radium will re-
%juvenate a horse and that the injec-
ions can be made. leaving a rae of
the vital drug in the blood from
which serum must he had.
In other words (nearer to the con-
ts'ete expression desirable in a matter
of so ~transcendent interest to mani
radium. which already has upset half
the notions Of chemistry and led to
the o advanced Of scientists to be-
lieve that the age old dream of the
transmutation of baser metals into
gold may yet be fulfilled. is now like
~ to be held the principle Of an elixir
Of life. the true fount Of perpetual
youth.
If. in the end. this is found to be
~ w SNSAN dSC-IH llkSS
tory will have been crowned with
success the dreams Of the Egyptian
priests. the Grecian adventurers, the
alchemists Of the middle ages will
have reached consummation-frui-
tion-and ma will have attained
the glorious state in which we may
kiss and quaff the golden draught."
Nearly every known century has
had Its theory Of perpetual youth and
fhA means hHy xryA14h tAf~ -~S-A<
be attained. The quests for eltxirs.
fountains and wonder fruits that
might restore the fleet years have
filled more pages Of history. romance
and fable than any other single sub
tect. It is probable that this search
first disclosed to man the nature. uses
and abuses Of those few drugs which
were known before the age Of chem
istry: the marvels of Egyptian m
calming probably were achieved as
the best substitute for a substance
age. Chemistry itself is the science
which grew out Of the millennial
search for the philosophers stone.
n OF whose two properties was sup
posed to be this marvellous power.
Even today the fondest dream Of ev-
cry scientific mind is the discovery Of
some agency that will restore the
aged tissue and prolong life.
Only the widest dreamers in the
newer marvels. held that the elixir Of
life was still a possibility, yet today
all the speculation is revived and
there r competent authorities who
will earnestly contend that the dream
Is not necessarily fatuous.
The reason for all this is patent.
The restoration Of youth is insepaI..
bly, tangled with the dream Of heaven
the tenets Of every religion. Immor-
tally is but another word for the per-
petual spring Of life. The Creek
happy rejoined the remembered low
ones. restored to the prime of
youth. to dwell in a deathless life
ever young and ever fair" The In
dian happy hunting ground, Nirvana.
heaven. valhalla. paradise, eden, ar
cadia. ~hesperides all carry this central
thought. The fall Of man. ngurative-
ly at least, cost him this blessing. The
golden apples OF the Hesperidesian
youth and strength. Thus eternal
youth and eternal life are the main
streams Of thought running through
the dearest beliefs of every age and
race.
Again age and the approaching dis
solution represent the supreme hu-
man tragedy. The greatest bait with
which the devil tempted the religious
in the old days was the promise Of
restored youth. So the aged Faust.
rich. famous and wonderful. laments
the absence of "a Jewel that would
enhance them all-fresh youth to en-
JOY them" This the false power bar
tiers to him.
Before anything was known Of the
sciences men naturally conceived the
restorer OF youth to be some won
drous substance hidden in an obscure
part Of the world and closely guarded
by fearsome monsters. The highest
exploits Of the heroes were the recov-
cry of these POSSESSIONS: yet, ration
ally enough. when the golden apples
or whatever they may have been, ac-
cording to the various fables, were
recovered. the possessor invariably vi
olated some prescription Of the be-
slowing power. with the result that
the effect was lost. Youth was never
recovered.
With the first observation ~ the