The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1921-03-26
A WOMAN
FOUND RAD|UM SUPPLY

which the world would know that
most valuable of mineral extraction
had Madame Curie, d~iscoverer Of the
precious element, realized that she
had not yet reached the end of her
experiments when the substance
which she christened polonium was
discovered. Subsequent experiments
showed that the extraction of polo
mum was merely a step toward the
extraction of radium.
1t had been Madame Curie's inten-
ton to name the new element after
her native land. Poland, but the
MANIFOLD greater value of radium so
lessened the Importance Of the pre-
liminary discovery that the word
polonium has become little known
outside of strictly scientific circles.
Radium was chosen as the name for
the final element because it gave out
rays.
According to report from Paris,
Madame Curie is now making prepa-
rations for her trip to the United
States in May. Upon her arrival
here she will be presented by the
women of America with a gramme of
radium-valued at $1OO, 900 for
though the d~iscoverer of this valu-
able aid to science, Madame Curie
has never been financially able to Down
even one gramme with which to car
ry on further experiments.
DR.. Robert Able, noted New York
surgeon, in a book entitled Madame
Curie," has written Interestingly of
the discovery of radium. mo other
woman. by sheer force Of energy and
brain power" he states. has pur-
sued a trail into an unknown jungle
and brought to light such an unsus-
pected new factor in the worlds
makeup, which has had such revolu-
tionary influence in science"
After studying chemistry and ply
sizes in the University Of Warsaw,
Madame Curie, then Mile. Marie
Sklodowska, continued her research
es at the University of Paris under
Professors Becquerel and Curie.
One day, explains DR.. Able, IAN
experiment was prepared with a
Photographic plate enclosed in a
black envelope on which a piece of
uranium was laid. While waiting
for a sunny day this plate was laid
in a dark drawer. A fortnight of
dull Paris days passed. 1t was
thought wise to test the freshness of
the plate by developing 1t. To the
surprise of all a dark spot appeared
on it beneath where the mineral had
rested.
This was the startling beginning of
the discovery. Becquerel rays be-
came the new wonder. BY delicate
tests they were proved to be electri-
cal.
Then began the pursuit. All
Joined in it. Every form of uranium
in laboratories raj tested.
Mime. Curie took the next great
step-the deciding step. She went
to the mines near Carlsbad, where
the mineral pitchblende had been
mined for a century for the extrac-
ton of uranium for making Bohem-
ian glass and beautiful dyes. She
examined the refuse, of which so
tons had accumulated in years past.
P~itchblende had always been
known in laboratories of Europe as a
composite ore containing a mixture
of a dozen different metals beside the
uranium from which 1t seemed alone
worth mining, such, as lead, silver,
tin, bismuth, etc.
ITO her surprise Nine. Curie found
the refuse was four times as strong
in Becquerei rays as the uranium
which had been extracted. This
startling fact then stared her in the
face that something unknown existed
In the refuse.
by chemical processes she pro-
ceeded to dissolve out first the lead,
then the tin. then the silver and so on
until as the residual mass became
purer it became stronger and strong
err. so times stronger than uranium
(polonium).
This small amount glowed in the
dark. All but two metals had been
eliminated. These were known not
to have the slightest radio activity.
Therefore there could be but one
conclusion-she was facing a myster-
ious new force. The excitement ran
high as the months went by.
FINALLY. after two years. she was
nAIA ~ ..I&-. -A----- ~