The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-24

CO0l1uO60 W38t880 ~ AoAs0AAs -
foolishly depicting the supply Of the
worlds most valuable metal ID
claimed by biologists here Every
milligram Of radium II jealousiy
bearded by the medical professfon
- . great power for healing. Yet
large quantities Of 1t are annually
introduced into luminous paint 50
that wrist watches and alarm
clocks may be conveniently con-
suited in the dark
It II true that precious a. rad
iuM is, there is only 10 or Is cents
worth of it on the luminous dial Of
. watch. But when thousands Of
time pieces are made luminous, the
value Of the radium consumed is
estimated to reach not less than
$300, 900 q year This means about
three grams of radium, which seems
q small amount, until you remem-
Der that there is less than half
pound Of the metal in the world at
present, and very little Is added
each year.
The lamentable feature Of the
luminous dial business, where rad
ium u used, is that the precious
metal 10 permanently lost. The
radium on the dial is still potent
long after clock has succumbed to
old age. but the amount Of the metal
there is so infinitesimal that it
would be impossible to recover it.
The point made In this connec-
ton is that the radium is wasted
unnecessarily. There is q metal
similar to radium, known as mesO-
thorium, which is equally efficient
in illuminating watch faces, and
which is the logical material to be
employed for this purpose. Meso-
thorium is not a new material. 1t
was discovered in 1905. Its cost is
only about hslf that of radium, yet
It. has never been widely used by
clock and instrument makers,
though there is presumably enough
of i: available
The life d mesothorium is only
about seven years. At the end of
this time, if the watch with a lum-
nous dial is in working order, ii
!, Is q small repair job to have the
dial illuminated again, or replaced.
Radium, unlike mesothorium
loses its power so gradually that II
may for practical purposes be re-
! garded as retaining it indefinitely
1t is estimated that in 1900 years
radium loses one-half its weight
and in 1900 more years another
half. Obviously a, wrist watch is
not going to last long enough to BIZ
worthy OF so ageless a material.
RAdium Lasts.
! The long life Of radium is what
makes it really practical for med.
ical purposes. If it could be used
but once, or even a few times, the
cost Of radium treatments would be
prOhibitive, but because the energy
Of radinm is undiminished by use
it is within the reach of rich and
poor alike, where hospitals make
use Of it. 1t does not matter whether
it is kept in sunlight, or in a hot OF
cold place. None Of these condi.
tons affect its strength.
1t is shut up in leaden caskets to
prevent theft and as a protection
to people and objects around it. Sc
powerful are the forces emanatins
from q few grains of radium tina,
the bureau of standards finds II
necessary to enclose its supply ir
q lead case, and to place before thai
q lead screen. Until the screen wa:
obtained the radium rays projected
themselves into the next room, ant
affected the delicate mechanism o
a number Of the bureaus valuabl,
instruments.
All the possibilities Of radiuu
have probably not been exhausted
No new uses have been discovered
recently. Doctors who are inter
ested are constantly making expert
ments.
Radium has been found to cur,