Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-13

OF devices for making them In the
mousse. These have come before tn"
bureau. one OF these is a jar contain
.nS small piece OF porous baked clay
containing rhd!um, which iiuparts III.
desired quality TO the water. that is,
1t gives up a small amount OF radium
enanation; another Jar contains :.
minute quantity OF rad!IIrn iuclosed in
"a crystal cell. Although the uuau,,.,
OF cInanation given OFF To tho water 80
exceedingly small, so that the rtd!uln
within VIII last a very Iomg tiur il
IS nevertheless much greater than i.
iound in actual mineral waters Min
cral waters supposed TO have radio
ACTIVITY also are sometimes sent 10 IN.
bureau 10 be tested. This branch OF
inc work ia not encouraged. hecaus.
most OK IN" waters win have los,
much OF their activity before thov a.
rive In most cnscs their strengths
decrease onc-half IN four DAYS
i'a1iuin is a metal. q chemical Gle
ihtnt, belonging 20 . remarkable class
OF substances which have the quality
or Misunderstanding atomically to form
no" substances. To tho lay mind this
seems almost realization OF IN,
.tlchemist's dream. To the sclontis, IL
IL Il simple and comprehensive process
consisting In the disintegration of tho
atoms, and the Regeneration OF ,hc,-
parts in new forms
This diSiutcuratiou ana formation r.,
new substances proceeds through ::
regular series. In tho case OF raIi,lr
uranium is supposed 20 be tn. starting
point. Uranium becomes iouiuin, which
becomes radiuu, and r:,dium after Pass
Ing through a number oc transfor,na
tons is believed finally To bccom.
lead.
Process Of Df~intcEration.
Each disintcgration ia accompanied
by release OF nncrgy--th.t is b. the
emission or relations The atoms az
"A a. Z, a. =. l,Sf
50 doing shoot off small particles iav-
Ing enormous ""locitics. in some cases
even exceeding 100000 miles per sec
"nd. These explosions set up disturb
ang"s similar to Mays. They ar"
known as gamma rays, have extreme
penetrating power, and give rad!um it's
value in the treatment OF cancer
Although continually disintcgratine.
II viii require 100 years for any
given lot OF radium TO become reduced
TO one-hait its present amount.
Every civilized nation liz making er-
! forts TO discover radium ores or waters
within its boundaries. The latest 70
ported discoveries OF this sort arc tho
radium springs OF Japan. which arc
claimed by the Japanese to he the
strongest in the world. Tho strength
OF these springs is measured in 'Iachr
units" OF which the spring at va
nanash IS 81 Id to bc imprcG uatcd with
500. Three Mache units Is about tho
associated with the bil1ionth part OF
a gram o: iadium. II a grain OF wheat
were divided among the inhabitants OF
the world each man. woman and child
would receive several NIache units. SO
.Iapau's spring has not got much raditim
after all. No way or using the minute
particles Of radium contained In min
eral waters has yet been devised, OK
ccpt by drinking or bathing in the
water.
\ number Of experiments have been
made In the use Of radium ores for
fertilizer. but practically without sue
cess Most soil contains about three
milligrams OF Iadium to the acre-foot
An experiment in Illinois consisted in
adding 800 worth OF radium ores TO the
! acre. This added about one milIiEram
per acrc-fnot. hut had no effect OH the
productivity of the soil.
American RndImm Production.
y large amount Of Iadum is being
produced by the very successful CO.
operation between the Radium Jnsti-
tntc of America and the United States
bureau OF Mines. The institute hn-
! turned over its Colorado orc lands 70
tho bureau, ana advanced 100000 to
he used in studying the extraction Of
Tad!um from its ores. The radum pro
duccd is divided between two hospitals
and may not be sold Six grams of
radium were produced last year. ut n
cost of s3,.59o per gram. The market
! price is 100000 per gram AS this
would indicate. the bureau has greatly
simplfied and improved methods OF eX-
traction. The process is one OF almost
| Uncomfortable delicacy, as the orc con-
! tains the metal in so minute n proper
| ton rs one part in ZOO 100000. Yet the
! government nitric-acid process OK
tracts 90 per cont of the radium con-
/ tent from the ores, whereas 80 per
cent was formerly considered salts
! factory.
/ This Increased production means in
| the opinion of physicians, not only II
| wider, but a more effective use OF
| radium They believe that larger
quantities will greatly increase its
value in tho treatment Of cancer, and
| the use of radium Is the only method
/ TINT hold N, IL