New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-08
NO SECRET PROCESS
TO EXTRACT RADIUM
Nine. Curie's Assistant Saws
Americans Fail Through
Lack of Experience.
fBy Cable 20 The Tribune J

Paris, Feb. ANDRE Debierne. engaged
in research work in Nine. Curies labors-
tory, denied to-day 10 The Tribune cor
respondent the existence of an alleged
secret process for extracting radium, ow-
ing TO the careful guarding Of which IN
, Europe il has been stated that Ama.i-
can factories are unable to extract suff-
Gent radium from the ore TO permit them
to pay European prices.
| "All that is known concerning the hard
ling Of radium." said NJ. Debierne, MAY
be learned by any one supplying sufi-
Gent references. At present there are no
Americans among some fifteen pupils
studying under Nine. Curie, but several
Americans. notably Professor Duan. OF
Boston. a member OF the Cancer Conf
mission. spent some time working with
Nine. Curie.
THE real secret Of extracting radium
! is long experience in its handling, and z
American factories fail to show satisfac-
| tory results II is chiefly because the in
dustry is new. The same thing happened
in Europe at first know OF several
houses which at the beginning OF opera
| tons lost enormous sums OF money which
| they only now are beginning 10 recoup
after many years Of work. Almost all
the experts at these factories come from
Nine. Curle's laboratories and know no
more than any American or student or
other nationality who takes the trouble
to learn radiums intricacies.
! Extracting radium is such delicate
process that even after leaving the Curie
| laboratory and all the facts concerning
the extraction are known II takes years
of experience 10 make the operators sui
fciently expert 10 detect and prevent
losses liable to occur during the various
processes There is nothing 10 prevent
American factories catching up and sur
passing those OF Europe II sufficient study
is devoted to radium 10 make the opera
| tors expert.
| I'm regard TO what will be the effect
on the radium market IL the United States
withdraUs radium producing lands, | am
unable 10 say. Az far as the Curie r.
stitute is concerned the project will net
greatly affect US, for the quantity We con-
sumo is very small compared with other
| institutions The last radium we bought
was from Barlow Wilmsrth some two
years ago. We have bought nothing
since. The high price OF radium Is, in my
! opinion, not due 10 the manufacturers or
! consumers, but 10 the prices asked by the
! sellers. Il is possible that Mr.. Will
marth Ia on his way TO Europe 10 get in
touch with the conditions OF the radium
market In Europe, but | have not seen
him"
| NJ. Debierne says Nine. Curie is stiI
in very poor health, despite the DANGER
Gus operation OF couple Of years ago,
which II was hoped would cure ner.
! Nine. Curle is suffering from curious
Inflammation OF the kidney. Sometimes
for periods she Is completely struck
down. SO far. except for these periods.
she has been able 10 keep up her work,
but she economies her strength as Tar
az possible by seeing no one. The thought
| has crossed our mind that Nine. curies
affection may have something 10 do VITA
| her radium work. but Ne have no means
OF verifying such a supposition.
The new Curie Institute. near the Sor-
bonnie. is now almost ready. Nine. curis
looks forward to the removal there M
a couple OF months. where she VIII -
able TO conduct experiments In more
com Portable surroundings. Concerning
the work OF which Nine. Curie Is now
engaged am able 10 say nothing. Nine.
Curie has made a rule not TO speak ot tho
object OF her experiments until there IS
a complete realization. and she can make
lthe.s known first through scientific chan.
'nels."