The Washington times., 1913-10-27
RAD|UM VALUE TO
Be SAVED TO j. s.
American Institute, Devoted to
Science and Humanity, Will
Cut High Cost.

To the medical profession the estab-
lishment of the American Radium In
stitute, which was announced last week.
is one of the most important events of
a decade. For no more keenly did the
Athenians await the announcement of
the battle of Marathon than do the ply
sicians and surgeons note the progress
of the use of radium for the alleviation
or cure of human ills.
So scarce is radium-yet We are told il
is all around US in unavailable form
that il is called the rarest thing in the
world. The high cost has made expert
ments difficult. Where gold is worth
so an ounce, the cost of one ounce of
radium is s., 250,O0 But there is only
about one ounce and a quarter of ra-
dium in all the world. Yet the world
mined, roughly, sac, 900 worth of gold
last year. while the United States alone
mined 50O.O00,OO0 tons of coal in 1910.
The largest amount of radium pos
sessed by any individual in the United
states is probably the two grains which
DR.. Howard Kelly. of Baltimore. has.
DR.. Kelly has just been selected as
president of the National Radium In
stitute.
The United States Bureau of Mines
mas TO be content to do its wonderful
experimental work with just one gram
of radium. America has about four
grams all told of developed radium in
Western State university had a vision.
Europe Takes Our Stock.
But Uncle Sam has had a vision.
Some years ago a young professor in
Western State university had a vision
Erof. r. 3. Moore and Prof. Herman
Schlund, of the University of Missouri,
got interested in radium- They worked
together, and after a while the United
States Geological Survey sent them TO
investigate the waters of the Yellow
stone Park for radio-actiyity. Later DR..
Moore was called to Government work
in Washington. The vision was that
while there is a microscopic, as il were,
amount of radiuuI for the use of science
and the medical fraternity in the
United States, this country is actually
the chief source of supply Tor producing
radium, but that Europe is buying and
shipping abroad these American ores
and manufacturing the radIum, keep
ing the bulk of il and selling such min
ute amounts back to Americans, to peo-
pie OF institutions that could put up
from $4,000 for one gram OF radium
chloride or sS1, go for the same amount
of anhydrous radium bromide.
This price is based on Sl20 for one
thousandth part of a gram of radium
metal. A recent newspaper statement
said the price of radium is falling. That
is an error. The use of mesothOrium is
not affecting the price of radium.
But # the plans of the United States
Bureau of Mines are brought TO a sue
cessful issue, America will get
larger quantity of radium and at more
reasonable price. American mine own
ers have already benefited by an ad-
vance of about IS per cent in the price
OF their ores.
Dr. Holmes and DR.. Parsons, heads
of the bureau, arranged for the open
ing of a rare minerals laboratory at
Denver. Col. Dr. Moore physical
chemist, was put in charge, and to
his assistance came X. w. Kithil and
G F. Whittemore.
Ores Sold Low.
The first work was to survey the
fields of supply ard discover new
processes of production. Careful in
yestigation showed that three times
as much radium was being made
from the carnotite ores of Colorado
and Utah as from all other sources of
radium in the world, and that this
ore was purchased by European man.
ufacturers at prices incommensurate
with its radium value while much
ore of lower grade was being dis
carded and wasted.
Pitch blende. especially from the
mines of Joachimsthal, Bohemia. has
been. in the popular belief, the chief
source of radium. This is not 50.
The most important ore of radlum is
found. outside of the United States,
only in South Australia and Russian
Turkestan. The Paradox Valley re-
Gion of Colorado is the richest radium
tearing field in the world
he bureau made preliminary
statement about the American oppor-
tUnities and is about TO issue fuller
statement.
But there was another part OF the
vision, and here the Bureau of Mines
grasps hands with humanity at large
The majority of US don't care about
the extra dollars that the mine owners
get That, of course, is vital part OF
the work of the bureau. But when I'm
Gle Sam gives US more radium TO eX-
pertinent with, and makes il cheaper
for the world at large, and especially
lines up with the effort TO conquer dis
ease, then we are all interested.
Who had the vision of the Radum
Institute? Not one of its directors, nor
any OF the Bureau of Mines force would
lay claim to the original idea. But al!
together have made possible such an
institute Radium institutes had been
established abroad. Why not IN Amer
lea. richest and greatest Of all coun-
tries? 1t needed some one to take the
Initiative.
ASScllS SduIcI NdSSS
Among men who have been inter
ested in the medical and surgical uses
of radium are DIR. Howard A. Kelly of
Baltimore. and DR.. James Douglas of
New York. DR.. Kelly is a noted gyne-
cologist and philanthropist. He has a
sanatorium in Baltimore, and has for
some time been experimenting with Ta-
dium and with reasonably satisfactory
results. While he il cautious, reCOg
nZing that we are still in the expert
mental stage, he is greatly Interested
in the work already accomplished and
in the possibilities Of the cooperative
work of the bureau and the institute.
In a lecture he recently made the state
ment that he had succeeded in curing
a number Of patients afflicted with
cancer, and that while. in some i'll
stances, his efforts were unsuccessful,
radium never failed TO furnish relief.
Or. James Douglas, another OF ths
directors, is one Of the best-known min
ing men in America. But il Is not as
a miner that he is primarily Interested
in radium. Though himself scientist
OF note and formerly a university pro-
lessor, IL was a fieshly tie that made
radium a matter of supreme interest to
him Some years ago Mr.. Douglas lost
a beloved daughter. In her memory he
built hospital in New York, and
radium as q possible alleviation Of some
human woes has supreme interest for
him.
Associated with them are DR.. Curtis
Burnam, Of Baltimore; Archibald Doug
las. of New York, and Z. J. Mahoney, OF
Wilmington, Del.
With men like these at the head of
and bV in their