The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-28
Facts About Radium.

| 1Oih NOmillSiSiol, IL lCluIlCuS VI
Pittsburg, Pa, gives some interesting
information about radium and its pro-
duction in this country. The letter is
as follows:
Sir: When we hear rsdium spoken
Of we are apt to connect it with some
thing mysterious, marvellous, uncanny.
1t reverts our mind back to Aladdin 9
Lamp, The Stone of the Magi, NEGRO
NANCY and other human agencies of a
world Of mysticism. This is really not
SO surprising when we consider that
mere gram, an atom not much larger
than the size of q pinhead, is worth
| $150,000, when we are told that the
total amount of radium existing in the
world is but a fraction moro than An
ounce; and that it was discovered by
a woman.
In Europe tho demand for radium
has become so great, so as to make it
impossible for the visible supply to
meet it; but while America is the
largest producer Of this precious metal
The question therefore suggests itself:
If radium, its value, its application and
its possibilities are go we'll recognized
and appreciated abroad, why do VIC not
make it's study more general in this
] country and then endeavor to keep it
here7 IF England, France, Germany
and Austria are able to appreciate it's
worth, it might be reasonably sup
posed, that the same conditions for its
usefulness exist in this country.
In European cities radium is now
generally recognized as possessing prop
critics, which, if they do not in all
cases cure cancer, skin diseases, gout
| and rheumatism, certainly have been of
great benefit in the treatment of these
| diseases, when the radium treatment
| was given at the time the disease was
| as yet in an incipient OF developing
stage. In London there has been for
a. number Of years radium institute
1t was established during the reign of
| King Edward, indeed that monarch him
self contributed toward the purchase of
| the amount Of radium-some 1000 milh-
| grams-which that institute possesses.
Since then the radium treatment for
| the cure Of cancer has been given in
| hundreds Of instances, and the results
| in many cases have been very remark
able,
Similar experiences with the applica
tion Of radium in cases of cancer have
been recorded by the highest medical
authorities in Paris and Vienna until de.
partments for radium treatment are
| now to be found in the hospitals of
many Of the larger cities on the Euro
| pean continent. That the radium treat
ment cannot be obtained in every city
| in Europe is solely due to the fact that
| the supply is limited. How keen is
| the anxiety for the possession of even
| very Insignificant atom of this mar
| velous metal may be easily imagined
when we consider that in Hamburg, Co
logne, Dresden, Breslnu, Essen and
other municipalities. funds have been
which the general public is asked TO
subscribe.
The visible supply Of radium existing
throughout the world at the present
time represents an amount not larger
than one ounce and a half, or approx
mately 45 grams, the current market
amount By far the largest is in Vienna,
Austria, the general hospital in that |
city alone having in It's possession 5000 |
milligrams. while the government has in |
its own keeping about three-quarters |
of an ounce, the result Of it's mining
operations in Joachimsthal, Bohemia.
In consequence of the pressing de-
mands from various sources the govern.
ment has OF late been induced TO loan
some small quantities TO various insti.
tutions OF science and medicine, refus-
ing, however, to sell any.
Whatever radium found in Europe, /
having been obtained from other |
sources than the Austrian government.
has been realized from ores imported |
from America, has been extracted in |
laboratories of Paris, London and Ber.
lin. Since last May America has her
self begun the production of radium,
and it is significant that European cities |
were among the first purchasers. In.
deed TO be exact it was in June. last,
that the first shipment of radium pro.
duced IN this country from American
ore was sent TO Vienna, the amount be-
ing 100 milligrams. Since then further
expectations, amounting probably to
1900 milligrams altogether, have been !
made to other parts Of Europe This ra-
dium was sent from Pittsburg
II has been reported that radium bear
ing ore values were found in Australia;
but the discoveries have been very in
slgnibcant, the most authentic lnforma-
ton giving the amount Of radium er-
tracted as two and one-half milligrams /
of pure radium bromide.
In this country Johns Hopkins uni.
versity has somewhat less than a gram
in its possession DIR. Robert Able, a
New York physician, is also the posses
sor of small quantity. He indeed,
fession among the American medical
men, familiar with actual treatment OF
radium therapy.
Speaking of the production of ra-
dunn in general, IL is fact-sincs the
Austrian government has ceased its OPP
erRtions in Joachimsthal-that at the
present time America is the only radium