The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-09-05

II mO0lty IN tne world Wh1ch las IfUp-
ped in price since the war. It was
listed IL London lssi lnonIa ii 1 100
4 per gram less than last year. The
depreciation was not caused by any
decrease In the demand Ior ,ie or by
any excess in the supply. The de-
mand for years IL likely. to greatly
exceed the available supply. The re-
duced price was due to the fact that
CERTAIN 1t..Gse Yarlies, VIZ 1elo i.in-
lied quantities.. needed the money
and We're compelled to sell ut sac
rifice.
The radium was eagerly bought.
An important demand Is from the
medical department of the British
army which is anxious to secure q
SUFFICIENT supply for Its hospitals to
supplement the uses to which It has
already been applied by the iRadium
Institute of London. Radium is be-
ing used successfully in treating
rheumatism developed among SOL
dters from exposure in the trenches.
The small supply available prevents
an extensive use of It as Is desired
for this purpose.
Tremendous Increase.
The production OF rao16m in the
| United States has been tremendously
increased within the last year by the
new methods devised by the bureau
OF mines. Those methods have made
1t possible to produce radium at a
much reduced expense. A full gram
of high grade radium, in the form of
bromide, was produced in this coun-
try during the months Of April, May
and June 1t cost of less than $780,
$50. This sum included the value
OF the ore, the insurance. the allow
ance for the completion OF the plant
and equipment, the cost Of the CO.
operation of the bureau Of mines and
oil other expense. The lowest selling
price for radium for several years
past has been $4,000 per gram.
Only about thirty grams are IN ex-
istence In the entire world and the
United States has had less than her
share because Of her tardy entrance
into the radium refining field.
Advantages Gained.
The advantage gained by the re-
duction Of the cost Of production
will be readily recognized although
for the present at least, 1t Is not like
ly to materially lower the selling
price. That is fixed by the demand
which is constantly Increasing. The
radium reduction plants in Germany
have been closed by che war. That
nation is making a valiant attempt
to corner every stray atom Of rad
ium, while Russia. France and Eng
land are equally anxious to acquire
lit.
Because of the great European de-
mand, the American hospitals and
the physicians who desire to test
the curative properties OF radium
must look to its refinement in their
own country. The National Radium
Institute was organized last year for
the purpose of increasing the radium
resources of this nation. Its presi-
dent is DR.. Howard Kelly. OF Balti-
more, one Of the two American sur
geons who have been treating large
numbers Of cancers successfully with
radium. The institute has secured
the right to take out one Of ten diff
ferent carnatite claims, averaging ten
acres each. belong to steel company.
1t has! agreed to supply the sum Of
S16O,O00 toward the technical super
vision and control of radium produc-
Ing ores in cooperation with the
bureau Of mines, the bureau to sup
ply the expert scientific work.
All Of the radium produced by the
efforts Of the National institute will
be utilized for scientific work in
America. Despite some effort to pre-
vent 1t. several shipments OF Ameri-
can radium have gone to Europe
since the beginning Of the war. Two
commercial companies in this coun-
try are now producing It.
Most Important Use.
The most important use Of radium
yet developed is that of curing can
Ger. In the opinion of many experts
1t is the only genuine cancer cure in
existence. At the meeting Of the,
American Medical Association held
last month, In San Francisco, consid-
cradle, time was given to the thera-
peutic qualities of radium, which are
as yet In the beginning Of their de-
velopment. Cancer is a disease Of
frightful malignance which has in
creased with such rapidly within the
last ten years that physicians are
searching desperately for some def
mite cure. While many failures have
resulted from the use Of radium 1t
has effected some seemingly miracu-
lous cures. 4
Its value in treating cancer hasl
become SO well established that twoi
years ago in Germany the kaiser con-
ceived the idea OF driving all can
Ger out Of that country by establish
ing radium treatments in all hospit-
ais. He ordered different municipal
tiles to appropriate sums varying
from $4,000 to 100000 for the
purchase Of radium for hospital use.
This action Of the kaiser is respon-
sible for the large number of German
q. Al - = .