The New York herald., 1921-03-13
Nine. Curie'S Story a Romance
Of Latter Day Science

Nine Curie was born in Poland, educated
in Paris in the famous institutions which
have been in existence there for more than
Ave times the life of the American nation
and married to a French physicist then
utterly unknown to fame except to a select
coterie of specialists. Suddenly this woman
became world famous.
After the discovery of X-rays by Prof.
Roentgen several French scientists at
tempted to see whether X-rays were given
off by a great variety of chemicals. BY "a
strange accident one of the chemicals first
selected was an old specimen of a salt of
uranium which had stood on the laboratory
shelves in the Sorbonne for many years. 1t
was found that this salt would give a picture
upon photogra phic plate even through a
sheet Of black paper or piece of thin wood.
The source of this uranium salt was traced
ia a ptchblend mine in Austria, the prop
erty of the Austrian Government Some of
the original pitchblend ore was obtained and
found also to be capable of acting a
Photographic plate just as the X-rays did.
Nine. Cure well known as a competent
chemist and her husband as a man of great
scientific ability. To them Prof. Becquerel,
who had made these experiments, turned for
assistance. They first found that other sub
stances-for instance thorium-would do
the same thing uranium would.
As the uranium ore was very expensive,
nor was the Sorbonne any more wealthy
than the usual educational institution. The
Austrian Government, however. kindly pre-
sented to Nine. Curie a ton so of the
residues left after the uranium was removed.
for while uranium has a moderate CONNER
cial value, chiefly in coloring glass and in
certain processes of chemical analyses, the
residues were of little value. Nine. Curie
summoned to her assistance a number of
,,1,- II 81 aa1tr r1n1 tnp nFp
residue with most minute care and patience.
1t was found as one metal after another
WAS gradually separated from this extremely
complex mixture that certain groups-for
example barium and bismuth-showed
marked Photographic and other effects which
ordinary barium and bismuth did not show.
Looking for These Unknowns.
Radium and PoIonium Were Found
To the trained mind of Nine. Cure this
was evidence that mixed with these sub
stances and closely resembling them chem
ically there must be elements hitherto un-
known which mad powers of darkening
Photographic plates and discharging electri-
fed bodies
After months " careful labor few crys-
tails of purified substance were obtained, the
whole amounting TO not much more than
could be held on the point OF knife, and
One Of these elements Nine. Curie named
polonium in honor of her native country,
and tho other, discovered later. was named
radium. Polonium has since been found to
be a product of the destruction Of radium.
II is difficult for any ore not acquainted
with the exploring habit Of the scientific
mind to realize the amount or labor which
went on in the dingy little laboratory. not
much more than q cellar, where Nine Curie
worked. II IS possible perhaps TO under
stand why Peary struggled through frost
and snow to tho North Pole IT il easier
10 know what propcls the minor 10 tho gold
field or the prospcctor 70 the diamond mine
the motive or the business man Is simpler
still. But what Is il that keeps fran
woman working day after day. night after
night. month after month and year after
year I'm quest Of something to her Of no
commercial value, OF which she possesses at
the present time not fragment but which
has brought untold benefit to the human
race AT large?
Mime Cure did not patent her discovery
she never tried 70 obtain fee FOR informa-
tion rendered. she never concealed any Of
Ter methods; everything was open and
above board SO that any ono could repeat
all the work she had done as soon as hor
papers were published. She and her hus-
band even sacrificed their small savings In
order to obtain the necessary chemicals and
glassware for the further pursuit Of the
work Everything She had she gave 70 H.
and she still sits n her laboratory in the
Sorbounc with no source Of income except
tho salary which the Government pays hor.
with no interests except the pursuit or