The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-04

l. y short is the state of the battle
which is being wagcd between
this precious substance and this disease
Wellngh all forms of external cam
Ger have surrendered completely to the
attack of the curative gamma rays. but
mystcriously as virulent tumors, &c.
have retreated before this therapeutic
agent. still internal cancer has not
yielded so willingly. In fact, In perhaps
the majority OF cases deep seated cam
Ger has held its own when 1t came to the
last phases Of the struggle, although
some patients have been greatly helped
by this latest of treatments.
Henri Becquerel on his way to Lon
don to lecture upon radium, placed the
little receptacle holding :ac precious
epecks Of that extraordinary substance
,n hts wastcoat pocket. Days afterward.
his side showed an inhamcd streak, and
the streak developed into "A serious sore.
Without knowing 1t and without feel
ing II the radium had sent its pene-
treting rays through the container.
through the intervening clothing. and
had invisibly scared the skin and some
OF the underlying tissue. This was the
beginning Of n series of brilliant expert
ments upon living animals. and the re-
suits suggested an application Of
fahium TO cancerous growths.
BY that time Nine Curie and others
had determined broadly the nature Of
the so-called rays projected from ra-
dunn. and the problem for medical
science was to find out how these could
be used and controlled for therapeutic
purposes. Success was not uniformly
the reward Of the treatment Of cancer
with radium. in fact. there were many
significant failures, and the medical
world feared for a while that rad!um
would go the way Of previously ac-
claimed cures. Now we shall understand
why DR. Robert Able OF New York city
began course OF novel researches.
I'VE can scarcely form an opinion Of
the action of radiant matter upon ami
NAL cells by its action on those Of vege-
table life. for who can differentiate the
vital force actuatlng each" he says. I'm
the laboratory Of nature we study the
effect of radium on seeds and bulbs
This Is a foundation stone Of its effect
on animal cells.
After suitable exposure Of seeds to
varying amounts OF soft and hard rays
issuing in inCessant streams from this
wonder working mineral. We watch them
grow and see three results; first, a
death dealing force has played upon the
nearby seeds so that their life Is de-
stroyed; second. upon seeds little
further removed a stimulating effect
has occurred. wonderful to relate. so
that their growth Is greater than that
OF seeds which have had no radium.
and, third, a, distances beyond that Of
stimulation, where the hard gamma
rays have played relentlessly on the
seed life. they show a retarded vitality
and are depressed in their growth more
and more up to a point several inches
away from the radiant"
Right here It is necessary TO under
stand the nature ofithe three kinds of
so-called rays having their melting
origin in radium. The three rays are
known as alpha. beta, and gamma rays,
and each of these has characteristic Pc
Culiarities.
The alpha rays have n range inside
of half an inch from their source, the
beta rays reach about three times as
far, and the gamma rays are yet more
penetrating. A thin sheet of paper or