Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-14
[ArmY Plan 10 Release
! Radioactive Elements
Held Boon 10 Science
BY Thomas R. Henry

By Thomas R. Henry
The War Department announced
last night that it will make avail
able as rapidly as possible for basic
research radioactive forms of ele-
ments which form part of the struc-
ture OF living things and which can
be manufactured in its uranium
chain-reacting piles" used to pro-
duce the atomic bomb.
The announcement is of far
reaching significance 1t we'll may
be landmark in the history of the
biological and medical sciences. A
flew days ago Surg. Gen. Thomas
Parran of the United States Public
Health Service said he considered
the coming availability of these sub
distances potentially as important for
.medicine as Pasteur,s original dis
lcovery of the bacterial origin of
diseases.
Some of these radioactive isotopes
fhave been known for the past 10
years and their Importance realized.
Ibut 1t has been possible to produce
them only in such minute quantities
that little use could be made of
them. With the experiments lead
ling to the atomic bomb means were
developed for making some of them
pm very large quantities. and hun
!dreds of others were produced for
1.-THE first time.
Will Serve as Microscopes.
They promise to serve as micro
scopes for observing the most in
|tricate and delicate processes of life
lin action. Life is essentially an
ieiectro-chemical phenomenon in
(which 80 Or. more elements play
'some part. Some of the most es-
ssentlal Of them function only in
Extremely minute amounts. Iodine
iis a good example Without it
higher forms of life cannot endure.
, The isotopes will be used in two
.major Ways-f1rst for research and
lsecond-after procedures have been
and standardized-per-
maps as actual medicines.
Most of them will be produced at
1.-THE Clinton Laboratories at Oak
Ridge, Tenn, now operated for the
tArmy by the Monsanto Chemical
sCo. They will be distributed to hos
bitals, Laboratories and other re-
search establishments upon the rec
lommendation of an advisory COM
mittee of scientists appointed by
Maj. Gen L. R. Groves. chief of
lthe Manhattan District which pro-
fuced the atomic bomb. upon rec
iommendation Of the National Acad-
Jenny OF Sciences
Distribution Soon.
Some of the isotopes will be ready
Tor distribution very soon. 1t is not
expected that all demands can be
met, however, until special piles are
built for the specific purpose of
producing them. More than 100 kinds
will be obtainable in varying quanti-
ties.
There are 80 elements in nature.
starting with hydrogen. the lightest
and simplest, and ending with
uranium, the heaviest and most COM
pick. The difference between one
element and another is the differ
ence III electrical charges of their
atoms. Each atom consists of a
heavy nucleus, which might be COM
pared with the sun in the solar sys-
ITEM, which carries certain number
pf positive charges Of electricity.
Revolving around it, like planets
around the sun, are a number of
electrons, each carry one negative
charge. The number of electrons
Is precisely enough to balance the
positive charge in the nucleus. 1t
can be no more or no less, except
very briefly.
| The number of these electrons is
the atomic number of the element
So long as this number remains the
same. copper remains copper, iron
remains iron, carbon remains carbon.
1t makes no difference how much
the atom weighs. In almost every
case the nucleus contains particles
which carry no electrical charge
These can be increased or, reduced
causing the atom to weigh more OF
less. Atoms OF, the same elements
differing in weight from the most
abundant forms Of these elements
are known as "iSotopeS.
Most Elements Radioactive.
In all chemical reactions these
isotopes act exactly the same As the
more abundant forms of the ele-
ments. Most of the elements,
thanks to the atomic pile, now have
isotopes which are radioactive. like
radium.
. Surprising psychologist wants to
know what becomes of iron in the
human system from the time it is
Ingested to its final assimilation by
tthe body. Now all he needs do is
administer SINE radioactive iron
and follow it through all its rami-
f1catlons by means of some device.
such as the Geiger Counter. of much
the. same design as is used to detect
tiny ammSlnts of radium which
have been lost
LIE most important element IN
life is carbon. 1t takes part in
essentially every life process. One
of the insotopes which it is possible
70 manufacture in greatest abun-
pance in the uranium pile is a RADIO
active form of carben-carbon a.,
PTS availability is expected, accord
ing to War Department announce
1nent. Ito give great impetus to the
study of all organic processes in
Guiding the mechanism and growth
of normal and abnormal tissues and
hll plant and animal functions.
BY far the most important activity
In nature is photosynthesis. the basis
bf all plant growth upon which the
structure of living nature depends.
This is a carbon reaction. One of
the present possibilities is man.
Initiated and directed photosyn-
thesis =
Aside from biology and medicine,
Isotopes of various sorts can be
bsed to trace new petroleum deposits,
Ftudy the cracking of oils and fol-
low the course of gases through
Intricate systems. /
Tho