Evening star., 1921-04-10
RADIJZM FOR NINE. CJZRLE
WILL BE TESTED HERE
Salts Dangerous Because Of Burns-WiH Be
':Bottled in Glass Tubes and Incdsed
in Leaden COntainer.

DR.. Francis Carter Wood, director
of the Crocker Cancer Research
Laboratory, Columbia University, and
head of the board Of scientists aiding
the committee Of women who are to
present Nine. Curie, discoverer Of
radium, with a gram of the sub
stance. says that any pickpocket who
undertakes to steal the minute gift
worth 100000 will do so at the
| risk of his health. He may literally
get his fingers burned.
DR.. Wood told many interesting
facts concerning this most mys-
and explained in simple language
how it will be bottled" tested by
the United States government after
it has been extracted from 500 tons
OF carnotite ore and transported. The
fund is incomplete and the commit
to the Equitable Trust Company, its
treasurer.
Kept in Glass Tubes.
Wonderful storfes," said DR.. Wood,
have been coming out of Paris
apparently the product Of the fertile
brain of the French newspaper re-
porters-concerning the way in which
the gram of radium to be presented
, to Nine. Curie by President Harding
descriptions have been cabied over
Of imaginary platinum tubes in
which the radium is to be incased.
"All this makes good story, but
the fact is that radium is not kept
in platinum tubes, but in simple glass
of the gas. which the radium gives
off, can escape. The reason for the
sealing of the tubes is that the gas,
if it is breathed in any quantity. is
quite destructive to the white cor
puscles Of the blood. and may even
one who is to handle the substance
the glass tube in which the radium
salts are packed-for radium is new
er sold as a pure metals inclosed
in cylinder shaped lead bottle.
with heavy lead cap screwed on the
top. 1t looks much like a case for
a stick of shaving soap.
Lead Gives Protection.
For ordinary purposes in the ham
ding of small quantities of Tadium
about one-quarter inch of lead gives
pretty good protection. SO that one
could carry the bottle about for a few
hours without risk, though some of
the radium rays penetrate even this
thickness Of lead. Larger quantities,
such as gram. give off SO much
radiation, even through one-quarter
inch of lead. that if the package
should remain for any le0gth of time
near the human body at least one
half inch of lead would be necessary
for protection, and it would be ex-
tremely unwise to carry the radium
in ones pocket for more than few
hours.
$50. Nine Curie's treasure when it
is handed to her will look like a
small amount Of tooth powder sealed
up in a glass tube about one-quar-
ter of an inch in diameter and an
inch long. inclosed in a heavy piece
of lead pipe. The outer trappfngs
may be gorgeous. but inside the box
which contains it there will be moth
ing to attract pfckpocket or hold
up man. In fact. sundry gentlemen
who have stolen radium from ply
sicians have turned up a few weeks
later with very unpleasant and slow
healing burns either on their fingers
or opposite the spot where the radi-
um was carried, and in one instance
the thief was traced through his ap-
plication for treatment at a dis
pensary, the physician who examined
him recognizing the nature. Of the
radium burn.
Glass Tube Marked.
"As another safeguard against the
theft and resale Of radium the glass
tube in which 1t is sealed has a num-
| her marked on it, so minute that it is