Evening star., 1950-04-17
y. 5. Uranium resources
Believed to Be Extensive
Intensive Explorations Turn Up
; Promising New Districts
By Thomos R. Henry


Americas uranium resources may be
considerably more extensive than has
been believed in the past.
Finding three promising new districts
where there are encouraging traces Of
the element which is the essential base
Of any atomic or hydrogen bomb has
resulted from the intensive explorations
encouraged by the Atomic Energy Com.
mission.
Hitherto uranium in this country has
been found in available amounts only
in Colorado where il is extracted pri-
marily from a rock known as carnotite.
The richest deposits in the world. how
ever. come from the mineral pitchblends
found in the Belgian Congo. in Czecho-
slovakia where it is in Russian hands,
and in the Great Bear Lake region Of
northern Canada. 1t seems to be con-
fined largely TO So-called pre-Cam-
brian rocks laid down somewhat more
than 500 million years ago. before life
on earth.
shield of these pre- Cambrian rocks
covers much of northern Canada. Every
where 1t is chaotic and broken due to
the twistings. rises and falls OF the
earth's surface through the milleniums,
Parts OF this pre-Cambrian shield ex-
tend into Minnesota Wisconsin and
Michigan and there always has been .
possibility that it might contain pitch
olenoe areas. which usually are quite
concentrated.
Richer Veins Possible.
A small uranium bearing vein now
has been found In gorge Of the Huron
River in the upper peninsula of Michi.
gan, according to commission an
nouncement. This find, in itself, is of
little Importance but indicates that much
richer veins may exist in the same area.
Intensive exploration will be carried out
this spring
Another group Of uranium bearing ores
which appears to be OF considerable i'm
portance has Just been located near
Marysvale. Utah. The vein consists of
quartz rocks buried at q considerable
depth and there is likelihood that there
may be larger amounts at still greater
depths not yet probed by the fiuorits
mining operations of the area which
nave been in progress for years.
third deposit which, 1t Is indicated.
may be OF considerable proportions has
been found in the Couer d'Alene district
OF Idaho whose underlying rocks are
more than half-billion years old. of
the same general nature as those OF the
Canadian shield.
The growth hormone OF the pituitary
gland-Secreted in such minute amounts
that the glands of 1000 cattle are re-
quired to obtain S0th of an ounce
appears to be youth preserver.
This iS fha Apdino ~ ku,o Wi.
searchers, Drs. Alfred E. Wilhelmi and
Jane A. Russell. who have been working
under grant from the American Can
Ger Society to discover the effects OF
the substance on normal growth.
Ordinarily. when the pituitary gland
at the base Of the brain is removed,
growth stops. 1t has previously been
determined. however, that when iniec-
tions OF this hormone are made normal
growth continues. The hormone ps1
causes continued growth in rats. raising
their normal adult weight moro u
three-fold If given over pe,!oi e
months. OF particular significance 5
that the new tissue formed is that CT
young animals. CO.. ~,
! Helps Retain Nitrogen.
The Yale scientists have determined
that the primary function Of this mys-
terious hormone apparently is to help
the body retain nitrogen. Nitrogen is
an important part of all the amino
acids from which are built up proteins.
the primary building stones of the body.
With advancing age more and more Of
this nitrogen is excreted. Growth stops.
The body starts using itself up.
Throughout life. however. the tissues
of the body continuously are being
broken down and built up again. The
hormone helps preserve the nitrogen for
the building-up process.
Studies now are under way to deter
mine what effect 1t may have on the
building UP Of fats.
The amounts available, OF course. are
far too minute for any medicinal use
and the extremely complicated and little
understood process Of growth might
make this inadvisable at any time. One
drawback already appears. The hormons
seems to inhibit the action of insulin
and thus slows down the formation Of
fat from sugar. This means that II may
have q pronounced diabetic effect
which would eounter-indicats It's use 81
any time.