Evening journal., 1913-12-19
WOULD KEEP
RADIUM HERE
Experts Say IfNatiOnnI InSti-
tute is Established Supply
Will Be Inadequate
GRAM IS NOW
VALUED AT 100000

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Dec. 19.-The
establishment Of a national radlum
institute for the treatment of cancer
and rheumatism, following the plans
projected by Alfred / DUPONT, of VII
mington Del, and Or. Howard A. Kel-
", Of Johns Hopkins University, is
strongly advocated by the Federal
Bureau OF Mines In the first repor1
on radium made by the bureau,
which was received at the University
of Pennsylvania yesterday, DR.. Joseph
A. Holmes and DR.. Charles l.. Par
sons, Two Of the leading experts en-
ployed by the Department of the In
terlor, indOrse immediate acquisition
of all radium-producting mines for the
service of humanity
The United States produces more
than twice as much radium as all
European countries combined-tbis
rs refined In Europe and much is re-
sold 10 American philanthrOpical in
stitutions at enormous profits. Scme-
thing must be done to prevent specu-
latlon and prevent the expectation OF
the ore. These are the salient fea-
lures in the report.
Demand May Equal Supply.
In the portions dealing with the
curative powers of radium. the report
states.
If Il can be demonstrated to the
satisfaction OF the medical profess
sion as a whole that II has a de-
cided use in any one disease, the
demand for radium will not only
equal the present supply, but will
/ equal any supply that Is likely to
be put upon the market in the fu-
ture.
Therefore a supply of radium
salts sufficient to meet the needs
OF an adequate investigation OF its
medical properties should either
be placed In the care of a radium
institute in this country or made
available for use In some of our
large hospitals. The radium in
the Colorado and Utah ores
should not be sent abroad in the
future. This country should re-
ceive the scientific and medical
benefits which may be expected
from its retention.
Doctor Parsons states that in 1912
uranium Oxide-from which radium IS
produced-to the extent OF S792, 900
was mined in Colorado and Utah. or
this amount $4,000 was exported
and the remaining amount retained by
| companies in this country which sell
radium salts at enormous profit. The
| report continues:
The fact should be noted that
$4,000 went into foreign hands
and opened to foreign medicine
and science opportunities denied
to our people except by repur-
chasing the manufactured radlun
compounds at an almist prohibi-
:, tive price
France. Austria. England and
II Germany have their radium insti-
tutes fostered by their govern
ments or by philanthropic founda-
tions. Although the United States
has been furnishing a large part
Of the material for the foreign In
vestigators. comparatively little
has been done in this country.
Up TO the present time the caro-
notite deposits Of Colorado and Utah
have attracted little attention out
side OF the two states, although
they are the most important uran-
| ium-bearing deposits known in the
world
Worth 100000 Gram.
The report then states that ove- Z
tons Of pure uranium oxide we're s.
cured from the Western ores IN 191
This produced S.S grams of radirr
All the other countries produced iel
than grams. The present mark
value of radium chloride-the gra
universally used--is about $4,000
gram. The radium is quoted at s1SC
600 a gram.
Ill Up until the time Mr.. DUPONT yos
| over the pitchblende mines in Col
| rado. they were the largest exporte
of the crude ore to Europe.
The report contains yoluminous j
| formation regarding cures effected
- radium as reported by the Austril
: Imperial Department OF Works. n
- Radium Institute Of London has fu
~ nished the American Governme
8 With its latest report This states III
8 2S cures Of cancer and rheumatiE
q have been made and that 90 9th
8 cases are apparently cured.
The report also sounds a warni
3 against fake sales Of radium. a
states that all persons should tho
8 oughiy investigate the dealers
practitioners before purchasing [
z material or subiecting themselves
8 treatment.