RADIUM AND RADIO-ACTIVITY [Booklet]
By M. L. Degnen
Copyright 1921, By Radium Appliance Company
IN THE year of 1897, Henri Becqueral, while experimenting in
his laboratory, made the discovery that a package of
sensitized photographic plates, wrapped securely in an opaque
covering, were affected by a piece of Uranium ore which had
been accidentally placed in a drawer adjoining them. This
discovery led to a succession of other experiments which
proved that Uranium ore and certain Uranium salts contained
some unknown quality of power that gave forth invisible rays
of sufficient intensity to penetrate opaque substances and
destroy sensitized photograph plates after the manner of the
X-Rays discovered a few years before by Professor Roentgen.
The following year, after a great deal of laborious and
painstaking effort, Madame Curie, working in collaboration
with her husband, succeeded in extracting from Uranium
residues a minute quantity of Radium, a substance two million
times more potent in its activity than Uranium. Thus it will
be seen that while to Henri Becqueral belongs the honor of
the discovery of Radio-activity, Madame Curie is justly
accredited with being the actual discoverer of Radium.
Radium is of itself so spectacular an element, and its
discovery is so recent that many of its romantic features are
as yet unwritten. That it was discovered by a woman and that
her discovery was awarded the Nobel Prize of $40,000, and
that it was heralded as the greatest scientific discovery of
the century, are in themselves but mere interesting
sidelights in the history of this extraordinary substance,
for locked up within that mysterious element are secrets of
far more importance to this world of ours than any discovery
yet made by man. Radium has revolutionized and knocked the
very foundation stones from under our preconceived ideas of
matter and the law governing things material. It has
destroyed and set at naught many of our former theories of
chemical action. Even the force of gravity has been
overcome by the power locked within this subtle substance,
as evidenced by its power to discharge from itself,
automatically, and at terrific velocity, particles of its
own mass.
Moreover, it was given us a new branch of human wisdom and
that branch is the science of Radio-activity, the science
that deals with the very base of things and bridges the gulf
that separates the real from the unreal, the ponderable from
the imponderable.
Radium finds its principal use and application in the dealing
with our physical bodies in the relief of human suffering.
Its force is strikingly akin to the actual, vital forces of
the cells of the body by which all our life functions are
sustained. Does it seem like a far-fetched statement to say
that we can apply at will to any portion of our anatomy, or
to any of the organs, the same force of life inherent in them
by nature? Some experimental facts point to this, and if
this be true, then this strange substance or form of energy
called Radium, a solar energy or sun product or what not, is
more wonderful than all the dreams and imaginings of the
human mind since Creations dawn.
RADIO-ACTIVITY
Radio-activity may be defined as the spontaneous release of
energy from a body at rest. This release or giving out of
continuous energy, is accompanied by certain chemical changes
constantly taking place within the parent body, such as the
generation of gases which are spasmodically released or
emanated during the entire life or activity of Radium. While
the energy contained in and given off by Radium is
undoubtedly of chemical origin, yet its effects are
certainly at variance with our former ideas of the laws
governing chemical action. Not only is Radium a mystery
within itself, but it possesses the power to impart its
peculiar influence and to energize other substances with
which it is brought in contact, causing disassociation of
the atoms in many bodies that had hitherto been considered
elemental in structure.
As to why or how this potential force comes to be locked up
within the Radium atom, it is beyond or present scope of
knowledge to fathom. The problem of this inter-atomic energy
involves the entire question of the nature of matter - the
riddle of the Universe. Man may some day master these and
other secrets of Nature's wonderful laboratory, that at
present we can only formulate conjectures on, and through
patient research seek to determine their effects, without
fully comprehending the laws that govern them.
As an element, Radium occupies a remarkable position in
chemistry - all other elements are known and classified in an
elementary state, while Radium is only known (or rather
inferred) from its compounds, such as the bromide, chloride,
etc. When we speak of Radium and its effects, we allude only
to one of these compounds manifesting Radio-activity,
M. Le Bon and Professor Moissan, the distinguished French
physicists, are both certain that Radium does not exist as
an element. Many other noted authorities hold similar
opinions.
A United States Government report gives the following
concise description of Radium:
RADIUM THE INVISIBLE METAL
"Radium is a metal and is described as having a white,
metallic luster. It has been isolated only once or twice
and few persons have seen it. It is ordinarily obtained from
its ores in the from of hydrous sulphate, chloride or bromide
and it is in the form of these salts that it is usually sold
and used. These are all white substances whose appearance is
no more remarkable than that of common salt or baking powder.
Radium, Radium salts and Radium minerals are not generally
luminescent. Tubes containing Radium salts glow because they
include impurities which the radiations from the Radium cause
to light.
Radium is founded in nature in quantities so exceedingly
small that it is never visible, even when the material is
examined with a microscope. Radium ore ordinarily carries
only a small fraction of a grain of Radium to the ton and
Radium will never be found in large masses because it is
formed by the decay of Uranium - a process that is
wonderfully slow - and Radium, itself, decays and changes
to other elements so rapidly that it does not accumulate
naturally in visible masses." - United States Geological
Survey.
Further illustrating this subtle property of Radium to
diffuse its energy through other substances, we quote the
following paragraph from the Saturday Evening Post of
October 4th, 1919:
MOLECULES AND OTHER THINGS
"Though the price of Radium is $120,000 a gram, and a gram
is less than one five-hundredth of a pound, most of us find
it possible to own Radium-dabed watches and clocks and to use
house numbers that are luminous at night. These conveniences
are the result of wonderful discoveries in our chemical
laboratories where experiments showed that the luminosity of
Radium is so great that but three millionths of a gram of the
substance, mixed with zinc sulphide crystals, is sufficient
to paint a set of house numbers and keep them luminous for
years. Further investigations showed that if a large
quantity of Radium is used, the period of luminosity is
shortened."
Regarding the power of a small quantity of Radium to
affiliate with and impart its energy to other minerals, The
Scientific American of August 21, 1920, contains the
following:
"It seems inconceivable that a gram, which is approximately
1-28 of an ounce, can be worth $120,000. Yet this is true
of Radium and when one realizes that that tiny amount of
Radium, combined with 20,000 grams of the secret process
phosphorescent zinc sulphide, results in sufficient Radium
luminous material to self-light for life 667,000 watches or
clocks, the true value of Radium to modern society is
apparent."
We have quoted these paragraphs to show that, with the
present scarcity and almost prohibitive cost of Radium, it
would be impossible to use this rare and expensive substance
in anything like its pure form for general purposes; and to
show that it not only possible but an established fact that
a very minute quantity of metallic Radium is sufficient to
impart its energy to other mineral substances and to instill,
or set up, a high state of Radio-activity throughout the
entire mass, thousands of times its own weight. It is owing
to this property of atomic assimilation that Radium can be
made use of in the manufacture of moderate priced articles
and of Radio-active therapeutical appliances.
Through this process of exciting radiation in other mineral
substances with a minute quantity of Radium salts, we are
enabled to construct the Radio-Active Solar Pad, an appliance
designed to supply a method of administering a constant,
mild and uniform treatment of Radio-activity in a safe and
convenient form, with no danger of dermatitis, tissue
destruction or other harmful effects which frequently occur
from the use of Radium in its more highly concentrated forms.
In considering the different opinions of recognized medical
authorities, we are led to the conclusion that the real
therapeutical results have been accomplished by the use of a
constant, mild and evenly diffused application of
Radio-activity and NOT by the high potential power of the
purer Radium salts, which can only be used for periods of
short duration and even then are attended by some risk of
tissue destruction to the patient unless treatment is
administered under the supervision of a physician skilled in
the use of Radium.
Dr. Octave Claude, head of the clinic at the St. Louis
Hospital, of Paris, reports that the residue left after
the extraction of Radium from the ores affords a means of
applying Radio-active treatment to diseased parts which is
often superior in its results to the use of Radium itself
as ordinarily employed, pure Radium being too intense in
its action for local application if used any length of time.
Dr. Bertoletti and Mme. Fabre of Turin, have confirmed
Dr. Claude's conclusions concerning the curative properties
of Radio-active residues.
The London Radium Institute has discovered and published the
fact that the emanation or gas given off by Radium is as
efficient for curative purposes as actual Radium itself.
Many other authorities have reported excellent results from
the application extensively in his own practice and who has
also received clinical reports from other physicians who have
tested the action of the Pad upon various ailments of their
patients, writes as follows:
"In my opinion the chief value of Radio-activity as a
curative agent is in the stimulating influence of a mild
or modified and continued application. The action is both
dynamic and constructive; is sedative and stimulating. The
chief characteristic effect, aside from this, seems to be
in regulating Vaso-Motor tonus, as evidenced by a very
noticeable improvement of circulation and a general sense
of well being on the part of the patient. ...The clinical
results are that better circulation, metabolism and
elimination are established."
THE RADIO-ACTIVE SOLAR PAD
The Radio-Active Solar Pad is carefully constructed on
scientific principles and consists of a heavy felt backing
with a prepared rubber facing. The face of the Pad is
treated with several coats of finely ground, high-grade
Carnotite ore, Radium Barium Sulphate and Radiofied Calcium
Sulphide. The different elements are mixed with an adhesive
applied separately. The process insures permanent
Radio-activity over the entire surface of the Pad. This
Radio-activity is further intensified by exposing the Pad
to sunlight, for, in combination with its Radio-active
qualities, the Pad also possesses the property of absorbing
the rays and radiant energy from the sun, hence the name -
Radio-Active Solar Pad.
All Pads are standard in size, measuring 4 1/2 x 10 1/2
inches, the treated surface containing, approximately, 34
square inches. They are semi-flexible and may be worn
without inconvenience by either sex - a lady may wear it
under the corset without suffering any discomfort.
The Radio-Active Solar Pad is sold under a binding guarantee
to relieve pain and assist nature in eradicating disease.
These therapeutical results are accomplished by improving the
circulation, overcoming congestion and eliminating impurities
from the system - our claims being that where there is normal
circulation, disease cannot long exist. A trail period of
at least ten days is allowed to all purchasers in order that
they may ascertain the merit of the appliance before making
an outright purchase.
Now, it will be quite apparent that we have perfect
confidence in our Appliance, otherwise we would not make
this offer, as, if it did not fulfill every claim made by
us, we could hardly succeed in business, as all our sales are
made only after the purchasers have had at least ten days'
time to test the Appliance and assure themselves of its value
as a curative agent. Furthermore, under the terms of our
agreement, the purchaser is sole judge as to whether or no
the Pad does the work.
Many physicians are using and prescribing the Pad and report
excellent results in chronic cases that had hitherto failed
to respond to other methods of treatment. It is not possible
nor do we claim that disorders that have perhaps taken years
to develop can be entirely eradicated within a week or two,
yet so great is the merit of the Pad, that a very marked
improvement is frequently noted within a few days after
beginning to wear it.
DEGNEN'S SPINTHARISCOPE
A lacquered brass cylinder with a high power magnifying lens
focused upon a small particle of radium. When seen in the
dark, and after the eye has been in darkness long enough for
the pupil to become fully dilated, it displays a perpetual
emission of sparks and scintillations. Price.........$7.50.
This little instrument gives a striking and visible
demonstration of the vast amount of potential energy stored
in an infinitesimal quantity of radium.
