The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-29
THE GOVERNMENT AND RADIUM

The supineness of the United States
government as compared with the at
titude of some foreign governments
in matters relating to the health ana
welfare of it's citizens is perhaps no
where better illustrated than in its
relation to radium. Some time age
the Journal of the American Medical
Association called attention to the tact
that radium deposits of unusual value
had been found in Colorado, but that
they had already passed to large
extent into the hands of private own
ers who were exporting the most
valuable ore to Europe. So far the
United States government has taken
no steps to secure to its citizens the
use of this element which, notwith-
standing the exaggerated and unwar-
ranted claims made for it by certain
commercial interests, promises to
have a unique field of usefulness in
the treatment of disease. The differ
ence in the attitude of European gov
ernments On the subject is shown by
the fact that the Austrian government
Immediately on the discovery OF
radium in st. Joachimsthal secured
control of the mines producing radium
and arranged for it's utilization for
scientific and medicinal purposes.
ducing mines, Germany recently has
purchased a supply of radium and
placed it at the disposal of some of its
university hospitals. The popularity
of this action has been shown by the
comments of the German press; in
fact a portion of the latter is advo-
eating that the German government
take over the entire control of the |
radium used for medicinal purposes in |
Germany. Thus the KOlnische Nolks- |
Zeitung states that ito allow the traf- |
fic in this unique medicinal agent to |
be controlled by private firms is to up !
set all ideas of culture and humanity; !
a condition of affairs in which private |
gam and speculative interests are al
lowed to come into conflict with the
health of the people is not to be toll
Grated" Yet the United States is al
lowing the radium found on its public
domains to be monopolized by private
purposes without so far having made
any provisions for securing to its citi
zens any be nefit from it.
Aside from the foregoing considera-
lions. however, a special responsible
ity rests on the United States to inves-
tigate. not only the occurrence, but
also the usefulness of radium and
ment itself has taken the lead in ex-
plotting, in an entirely unjustif1ed
manner. the rado-activity of the wa
tiers of Hot Springs. Ark. These springs
are the property of the federal gov
and the latter for some time
has been advertising that the waters
owe their value to their radio-activity
"a claim that has never been verified;
in fact, the degree of the radio-activity
of these waters has never, to our
been made public, although
which has jurisdiction over the springs,
is in possession of information on this
subject The late Major Hallock,
medical director of the springs, recent
IN called attention to the efforts which
had been made to secure an investi-
CATION of the value of the waters; the
bill before congress providing for such
an investiga ton was never reported
from the committee. and it is said that
the failure of the committee to act
on it was due to the opposition of
the representatives in congress of GER
tain purely local interests at Hot
Springs.
Thus our national government is not
only allowing the deposits of what Is
already known to be of value to fall
into the hands of private commercial
interests, but also is actually party
to the exploitation of radioactive
waters in a manner for which there is
at present no justification.