The Delta independent., 1914-02-20
with radium can be shown in this way

with radium can be shown in this way
The emanation is contained in watel
where the salts of radium are dis
solved and furnishes the medical prop
critics of certain springs, being ma
lures own way of supplying it. 1t ma,
escape into the air and can be collect
ed and experimental with as othel
gases are. 1t radiates alpha, beta ant
gamma rays the same as radium itself
The raido-activity of the emanatio1
rapidly decays away, but the radium
furnishes more emanation. If we dis
solve compound of radium in water
the greater part of its activity will
disappear. This would seem to contra
dict what was said before that we
cannot effect the activity of radium
water and the activity is soon found to
be just the same as before. This IS
true of all radioactive bodies and
is called the law of the conservation
of radio-activity.
The rays of radium are separated
and studied in various ways. Every
portion of given bulk of radium salt
is giving off alpha, beta and gamma
rays all the time. They come not only
from the surface, but the inner po--
tions as well. The salts of radium be
ing dense, a large portion of the rays
are absorbed in its own substance
This is especially true of the less pene-
trating alpha rays whie the more pene
thru the escape Hence, comparative
ly only thin portion of surface con
tributes to the alpha radiation. But
the salt may be spread out into thin
film when an immense amount of al
pha radiation can be secured with a
very small amount of radium.
In order to separate the beta and
gamma from the alpha rays, screens
are interposed, sheet of paper stop
ping many of the alpha rays and mica
stopping them altogether. The alpha
rays will penetrate only three inches
of air. But a grain of radium gives
off ten thousand million of them in a
second OF time and they travel at the
rate of several thousand miles per
second. Both rays are so DETECTED
by an electro magnet that they are
curled up into circle and be separa-
ted from the others in that way. They
travel at different rates, most of them
at from 40 TO so per cent of that OF
light, which is $4,000 miles per sec
ond.
When We remember that these beta
rays are not an effect, like the waves
of other, as light travels, but an ac-
tual particle of matter flying thru
space it is astounding.
The gamma rays are the most pen
etrating, some of them going thru
foot of solid iron and photographs have
up in a wooden box. This is done by
placing the radium SO far away that
all of the alpha rays are absorbed by
the intervening air space and having
it between the poles of an electro
magnet to defect away the beta rays
which blur the picture.
These three distinct rays are, after
all, in way only classes, as each of
them has been separated into other
kinds of rays.
The NOSE practical use of radiun
so far is in the line of medicine and
here the field is ever widening All
kinds of cancer have been treated
with more success than any other
fair to supplant the knife in many
cases. The fact that there is no pain
and little inconvenience of any kind
makes it generally attractive. Child
rem can be treated while they sleep
and adults can sit down with a book
or paper and lose themselves to all
else while the applications are being
made.
Many cases of cancer have been
positively cured, especially in the
more superficial kinds as epithelioma
or skin cancer And while it can not
probably be definitely stated at this
time that radium in in the broad sense
is cure for cancer, there is encour-
agement for much hope that the new
remedy may shortly be entitled to that
distinction.
In the removal of the so-called
birth marks, port wine stains of the
face or other parts, blood tumors and
nevi of all kinds nothing yet discover
ed has approached the success at
tanned by the use of radium. Many
an unfortunate victim of these un-
ci oh IL. dafnrIn in. hac hcnIl ln q