Gilpin observer., 1914-06-18
RAD|UM AS A
: CURATIVE AGENT

The conflicting reports published in
the press regarding the efficiency of
radium as a curative agent, and the
diversified opinion OF the, members of
its, leaves lingering feeling of
doubt in the minds of the layman as
to whether this new element is real
ly capable of curing disease There
feature of this salt, and neither is
there any cause for doubt that its
constructive forces are quite as pow
erful. But a short time has elapsed
been determined relative to its cura-
tive properties, and still much more
there is to learn. Fatalities have oc-
CURED through it's use in the hands
Of operators who were not cognizant
of its tremendous power. Numbers
of persons have unwittingly given up
their lives for the benefit of science,
and radium will offer its full quota
of sacrificial offerings before the
limits of its efficacy are ascertained.
Soon after Madame Curie succeed
ed in extracting a small quantity OF
radium salts from pitchblende, NJ.
Becquerel, the discoverer of radio
activity, visited London and carried
with him a small tube containing
minute particle of this substance,
carefully concealed In his vest pock-
et- In about two weeks he became
conscious of sore spot on his body
where the tube pressed against it.
and upon examination discovered that
he had been burned. This led to
many experiments made on worms
and lower animal life and these ex-
periments disclosed the fact that
when applied to worms that repre-
sent the larvel stage of certain bee
ties, there was no further growth,
but they remained worms and never
developed into beetles. This led up
to the application of radium to can
Ger. and with much skepticism, DIR.
Robert Able, of New York, inves-
tigated its potency in reference to all
periments he discovered that radium
was a perfect cure for warts.
The common wart. though the
world takes it with little seriousness.
OF
times, and as ii is formed by the
growth of skin cells, it often appears
in the most annoying places.
One application of radium of per-
haps thirty minutes duration effect
ually destroys it, and leaves no scar,
not even red spot. the skin being
just as white as the surrounding tis-
sue.
Thus radium soon developed re-
mafkable power in healing a type OF
tlimor that is caused by the growth
of skin tissue. 1t appears common
ly on the face, the nose, the neck.
tie ear and the scalp. In the main
these cancers grow slowly, patient
sometimes carrying around the dis
figurement for period of ten or
twenty years. They are malignant
TO the extent that, unless checked,
they increase in size and ultimately
destroy life. If the surgeon can reach
them in stime he can usually effect
a cure by cutting them out, but the
result is hideous Disagreement and
often worse than death itself.
DIR. Able soon discovered that sur
face cancers of this order could be
readily cured by the application of
radium and this statement is justi-
fled, extreme as it may seem, as
they have had sufficient experience
with these growths and unless too far
advanced may be cured with little
trouble. The genuine, cancer in It's
final stages does not confine itself
to its original seat, but starts new
cancers in other parts of the body.
Groups OF cancer cells break away
from headquarters. escape into the
blood stream and start new growths
elsewhere. II then becomes general
lied cancer, and radium has no fav-
orable effect when the cancer has
arrived at this stage. II. with few
grams OF radium, surface cancer and
some of the deeper kind can be re-
moved what can the scientist not do
with practically inexhaustible
amount? And, with the uranium rich
es OF Colorado brought to light, the
future is far from being one OF des-
pair.
There is an erroneous impression
prevalent that Madame Curie discov-