Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-01-30

and shipped them to Europe for re-
duction, but very recently the Stand
ard Chemical company has entered the
market with radium produced in Its
works at Canonsburg, Penn.
It costs a Colorado miner about SIC
a ton to get his ore from the Paradox
Valley to the principal market, which
is at Hamburg, Germany. A 2 pei
cent ore will sell there for about s9t
a ton. This represents only about one
sixth Of the value Of the radium con.
, tanned in the ore, so the miner scarce
ly gets his due share Of the profits.
The methods by which the milli-
gram or so Of radium is concentrated
from the tons Of ore through which Il
is spread are secret. There are
probably several different methods
each manufacturer having his own
But the general principle is wei
known. 1t Is not smelling process
such as is used in extracting gold OF
copper or iron, but is purely chemical
The radium must be dissolved and
then chrystalized in the form Of salt
either raiium chloride or radiun
bromide. Mime. Curie, with her dis
covery Of ploniun, paved the way and
laid down the general rules.
The ore is crushed and placed ir
large vats, into which solution OF
carbonate Of soda is poured. Heat
brings the whole to a boiling point
after which it is filtered. More car
Donate Of soda solution is added fol
the purpose Of washing out most OF
the sulphates.
The liquid that results contains sew
eral alkaline earths, including radium
content Of the original ore. This is now
treated with pure hydrochloric acid
This dissolves these earths. The ra-
dunn has now to be precipitated from
the rest Of the mass. This may be
done either by adding sulphuric acid
which forms a combination with the
radium in the form Of radium sulphate
| and has to be changed back into a
|
carbonate Of soda, or the solution may
be saturated with hydrogen chloride
which precipitates only the radium
and the barium chlorides, leaving the
chlorides Of lead, iron, calcium, etc.
still in solution. These radium and
barium chlorides are practically pure
and ready to be separated and crys-
| talized.
1t is a complex process, difficult for
any one but an expert chemist to un-
derstand. But it is to be simplifled and
all the mystery that still hangs about
1t Is to be removed.
Charles l. Parsons, chief Of the di-
vision of mineral technology, United
States bureau Of mines in an address
before the American Mining congress
last October Cfrom which most Of the
facts contained in this article are de-
rived), announced cooperative
agreement between the bureau OF
mines and the newly formed National
Radium Institute, by which the form
er obtains the opportunity to study
scientifically the mining and concen-
tration Of these carnotite ores with a
view to increased efficiency and the
prevention of waste. The institute,
which was founded by DR.. Kelly and
DR.. James A. Douglas, Of New York,
each of whom subscribed $150,000 for
it, has acquired twenty-seven mining
claims in the Paradox Valley region
and has already produced 100 tons OF
high grade ore. A. plant is to be erect
ed in Colorado, and the Denver office
Of the bureau Of mines has devised en-
tirely new methods Of extracting the
radium. Mr.. Parsons said that within
year the mill would be at work on
large scale, and would produce urani-
um and vanadiuc as by-products. 1t
will end the secrecy that still marks
the work, as all the processes will be
described in detail to the public.
DR.. Howard A. Kelly of Baltimore,
is a director Of the National Radium
Institute. He has in his personal pos
session more than $50 milligrams Of
radium and 100 milligrams Of meso-
thorium, the effects Of which upon
cancer seem to be similar to those Of
radium. He will direct the use of these
elements at free clinic in Baltimore,
and DR.. James A. Douglas and DR..
Robert Able will do the same in New
York.
The discovery, recently described in
these pages, that the emanation, or
gas, given off by radium Is equally ef-
fective as the element itself, and that
this emanation can be stored in lead
plates and in water, seems to presage
the no distant day when radium treat
ment shall be within reach Of every
patient Of every physician instead Of
being as it is today, the exclusive
privilege Of those who are rich enough
to pay for it and those who are so poor
that they become entitled to treatment
for nothing.
Colonel du Pont has stated that his
radium mines are to be devoted to
public use. DR.. Douglas says that the
radium produced for the Radium In
stitute will be its own property, to do
with as it likes; it will not give it
away; it will, however, sell none, but
use it for curing cancer and such 9TH
er diseases as may be found amen
able to its rays.
A radium bank, under the manage
ment Of the United States department
Of health, has been suggested. The
idea would be to establish a govern
ment monopoly; storehouse from
which radium could be sent as loan
to any physician in the country who
needed it for the treatment Of case;
a hospital to which any one could go
and receive treatment at the hands OF
officially employed experts.
A bill has been introduced in con-
gress withdrawing all radium- bearing
ore lands from public entry. 1t is said
that representatives Of the foreign
companies that are already producing
radium are trying to acquire some OF
these lands, and fear has been ex-
pressed lest the supply get into the