Imperial Valley press., 1914-03-26
MINING BUREAU
REPORTS ON RADIUM

4CD4 Wv ~ O4N 1t11D1O NA
Washington, March 24.-Radiuk
needs Of the United States were rep
resented today in striking manner
by Joseph A. Holmes, director of the
bureau of mines, in his annual re-
port. Europe is monopolizing the
metal, he says. There is a pitiful
lack Of the healing substance in
American hospitals.
"It is estimated that in the United
States $4,000 persons die each year
from cancer" says the report. "Ra-
| dunn is considered the most prom
| ising cure for certain types of can
GER, and in many cases where surgi-
| cal operations are not practicable it
is said to be the only known cure for
this terrible disease. But the serious
barrier to progress in demonstrating
these facts is the scarcity of radium
"There is probably not more than
80 grams (about one ouncel of ra-
dium now available for use in such
treatment in all countries. Of this
| amount, there is probably not more
| than grams of radium bromide in
the United States, in the hands of
few surgeons. Probably Is grams of
radium bromide were produced dur.
ing 1912; and of this Is grams nearly
11.5 grams were extractad in yari-
GUS European countries from ores
shipped to them from the United
States-mainly from Colorado and
| Utah.
| During 1913 there was total
production of 2,14O tons of radium-
bearing ores in the United States, of
which about 45 per cent of the ores
and (the exported ores being richer)
a little more than so per cent of the
radium content were shipped abroad.
Because of new plant now being
erected at Liverpool by an English
corporation controlling 60 claims in
Colorado and Utah, and the larger
purchases of ores by other foreign
corporations, the exports of radium
ores promise to be much larger dur
ing 1914.
Meanwhile, the American hospi-
tails are vainly endeavoring to pur-
chase and bring back to the. United
| States for their own use some small
| part of this radium, even at such
prices as $4,000 to $16O,OOO per
! gram, or $5OO,OOO to $8OO,OO for the
five grams of radium that a large
hospital should have or have access
| to for special cases.
"The fact that thus far they have
| been able to obtain not more than
two grams of this radium is due to
the fact that in Europe national gov
ernments, we'll endowed national ra-
dunn institutes, municipalities las in
Germany, radium banks, hospitals
and speculative agencies are all en-
deavOrlng to procure and retain sup
plies of radium for use in the several
European countries, and the Ameri-
! can people are only now awakening
to an appreciation Of it's IMPORT
ance.
"The Austrian government has ex
pended more than 100000 in the pur-
chase and development of radium-
bearing ore deposits within its own
territory. The United States, how
ever, has been giving away its more
extensive radium-bearing deposits,
the ore of which, during the past few
years, has been shipped abroad for
treatment by secret processes to sup
ply the radium for European de-
mands."
Mr.. Holmes describes the work of
the government radium laboratory at
Denver, where the bureau is attempt
ing to develop processes for extract
ing the metal from its ores economi-
cally.
"The investigation has been delayed
because nearly all radium-bearing
ores mined in this country have for
several years been shipped to vari-
Gus European countries and treat
ed by secret process, not only for
their radium, but also for their vana.
dunn and uranium content" he says.
"A number of the early shipments
of the ores were treated only for
the uranium or vanadium, and the
radium residues were thrown away as
waste product.
"No detailed information concern
ing the methods of treating these ores
being obtainable, the bureau of
mines has endeavored to develop
process of it's own, which, if sue
cessful, will be made public for gen
eral use. Progress in this work has
been slow. not only because of the
uncertain factors, but because of the
| limited available facilities at the bu-
reau's disposal for such work. 1t is
believed that with large facilities