The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-25
IRIDIUM INSTITUTE
 OPENED IN PARIS Used as Cure for Well
 Known Ailments TAKE VALUATIONS Prophecies Calls 1912 the "Black Year Mercury to Be Dominant Planet-Paris Fertilization
 PrOmblem Settled
INHALATIONS
By GEORGE DUFREsNE

By GEORGE DUFRESNE
 Paris, December -(Special)-P which, through NJ. and Mme. Curie saw
 the discovery of radium, has seen the ] opening of it's first radium institute in the
 Rue Penthlen Ever since the discovery
 of radum. experiments have been made
 by leading members of the medical pro-
 fession to discover any possible remedial
 properties of the new substance. Some of these have been failure, others a success; and it seems now fairly well proved that radium has a certain effect in
 rheumatism, gout and all arthritic affee lions.
 Doctors Gudzent. Jacobs Eraus, Der gel Bickel, Lowenthal, Madame Laska, and other radium enthusiasts have made a number of tests which seem conclusive.
 The application of radium, chiefly by drinking and inhalations, has now become
 quite an established usage in most of the German cure stations. Dr. Frumesan, the lead of the Paris institute. who has vis- tied most of them, has likewise become
 firmly convinced of the efficaciousness of the radium cure through inhalatons and has gone to considerable expense to set
 up an installation in Paris
 The installation which he showed me is quite interesting. The most effective way of applying the cure is by means of ln- halations of radium emanations. For this purpose a comfortable rooms has been specially prepared The doors and win dows have been thoroughly padded and made almost dramatically tight Accom- mediation is provided for eight or ten pa- tients, who may take the cure simultan- eously.
 The radium emanation is provided by a ''yolinhalatorium, a device which IS already popular and widely used in Ger many. The 'vollinhalatorium" is a sort of upright tube. standing a yard or more high, at the bottom of which the radium is placed. Special currents of air are forced up through the tube and convey the carnations of radium through the room with the air, which is itself con stantly renewed with special supply of | oxygen. The famous springs of Bath, Tn England, and the numerous springs of the continent credited with being specifics against rheumatism, gout, etc, derive, 1t is believed by the new radium advocates,
 most of their efficaciousness from the in finitesimal quantities of radium or ema- nations of radium which they possess, but the mere bathing in water impregnated with radium emanations is not supposed to be so effective as inhalations.
 Every year Mime de Thebes issues an al- manac which usually contains some dis concerting forecasts. Not less uneasy are her provisions for 1912, which she calls
 The Black Year pierced, however, ay rays of light.
 Mercury will be the dominant planet, l ,f I9nG rI itary men will be most in the public eye; tbat is to say there may be trouble The chances of peace and war are about equal, but if a cataclysm occurs, not only Eu- rope, but other continents, and particl- larly Asia will be upset. Trouble is prom ised at Brest, Toulon. and at Paris, where conspiracies, epidemics and floods will oc- cur, and we are told that if men of good do not unite the capital will be a ruin.' Tn spite of these terrible happenings the daily life of the city will not be inter- rupted There will be the usual contin- gents of dramas and adventures. Though for the moment paralyzed. art and letters will furnish their contributions to glory. An actress having changed her condi- ton by marriage will play an important role from political and social point of view A second actress, who is applaud ed on the boulevards. will commit suicide after having murdered some one. Foreign countries will not be immune from troubles. In Spain there will be conspiracy and fusllading in the streets, but the monarchy will be saved. Mime. de These forecast regarding Germany may well inspire all good Germans with fear. There will neither be Hohenzollern nor
 Prussan domination she says. Thar is what Germany will gain by her violence and barbarious policy. I have said. and I repeat it, that the days of Emperor are numbered, and that after him everything will be changed in Germany l mean his days of reigning not his days of living As for England, she is menaced with bad destiny. There are signs of death, wounding and fires. And it is the same | everywhere" she adds. "It is the black year.
 An interesting story told today suggests that Abdul Hamid. the recent sale of
 whose jewels caused quite a sensation. | did not object to associating pearls with | swine One pearl necklace, at any rate. | vas absent from the Sultan's collection, and it is said that the Sultan gave it to
 the clown Auguste, the trainer of clever pig.
 Auguste and his pig, Jules, performed
 in a French circus which visited Constan- | tinople and gave a performance at the
 palace. The Sultan was highly amused by I | did not do good business in Turkey, and
 was about to sail for France when a de- 1 tachment of guards arrived on the quay 1 with instructions to buy, at whatever
 price, the clowns contract.
 l An understanding was come to with the
 director of the circus, and Auguste and | his pig Jules returned to Yildiz, where they were given a warm welcome. At the first performance the Sultan. the only l auditor. presented the clown with a pearl
 necklace. The pig wore the necklace at | the next performance, to the delight of | Abdul Hamd. When the talents of Au- guste and his pig ceased to please, the | clown was given employment at the pal
 ace with a salary of $2400 a year besides
 presents. and the pig was relegated to a l pigsty of honor.
 The vexed question of the Paris fortih- { cations has been settled at last. The mu- 1 ncpal council and the war office have 4 come to terms profitable to both parties The former wants space to build work ] nlen's dwellings,; the latter wants money
 to build forts capable of protecting the cuY. The municipal council will there ! fore, buy the circle of Qualifications
 around Paris Gradually the considerable
 space thus acquired will be covered by habitations built in accordance with mod ern hygenic ideas and let at a moderate sum. The authorities long wished to con- l struct forts at some little distance from the city. but there was a lack of funds. That difficulty has now been got over. ! When the walls are pulled down all the Ill.