WONDERS OF RADIUM

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 408, 18 January 1909, Page 5

WONDERS OF RADIUM

I; : V EXPOSITION BY; MR. WRAGGE.; /-; A 1 foretaste'.of ; Mr, ; C. Wragge's/lecture on ' the'/wonders/bf'; radium/was given ; ; by, the' ; scientist /to' assniall / gathering '■ of- -pressmen and /private friends' at/tho/ People's : " Palace' .-Hotof./ ohv Saturday-.. night..'..■ Specimens'';- of radium,/pure;. and in' combination' with -iinb.' :sulphide, -were;handed/round, -and the' pather- ; .mg/vvas/mado' fainiliar'with /the/ willeihite. •, stone"..;and; : other:- agent's /which/;; make/ -the. , ether.'rays thrown ,out; by / radium'. Visible, , jThe speck of ;puro radium, i which /could' not ' Ibe 'seen/ with/ .the 'naked eye,: was poised -. on ; !the tip.bf : a small/arrow in,a special; insfcru'-- ' ■ ment: :• Owing; ;to/its extreme;rarity, the value ;bf. radium is'/ several ..thousands, times its . woight/pf'gbld, l; -'so:that the. friends'of ;:Mr./ Wragge : . were ■ e^xhorted' to : handle -the-. speci'hiens' very, carefully, to, let ;thonv' v : - ■■'■■/ ;'.--.,'.''■';;.'';'' "■ ■ /. The.scientist;'.explained, that the .invisible-: 1 speck/of •radium was. a complete, universe in \ itself:/'/ The/inyestigatibn;: of / radium had. : shown that i;every.'chbmical atom■-was :com-' ', posed of thousands of electrons, or corpuscles,' ■in aV'statb of.'ceaseless activity, reiembliug' ; /that' of/the -celestial systems.;.: Tho closest intimacy-existed between tho operations of ' .Divino'.power:iu/the,infinitely/grand.and in; : Ithe-infinitely/smallr./; On an.; average/'there were 200,000. corpuscles, or .electrons, to the invisible atom. ..The'-entiro: universe :was' ;drehched,.ii an'.oceanof these electrons—the ether. // Strictly/Zthere/was; no .such., thing as ■ a; solid; substance'j the./.ether ; : penetrated; 'everything;.'-^/,;;.//■- ■[''■■,■■■ '■■■','" ■■'•''■ ■/•"•■;.■■ -. Mr! AVraggo then gave a glowing.account' 'of the discovery /and f-wonderful; powers :of' radiumj.'-with/the;aid of.lantern views.; He explained/that'while his/other lectures, were given; 'extemporarily,, he-had; prepared ' a written summary,of; the properties.; and powers of .radium,, which,.,by means of successive slides, ho/threw upon the/screen. /Views were ; also/shown- of:/ coins 'photographed through /Various ./obstacles: ; by ..means -of the ;radium.rays..'/.;.; -,'. -.',; ■■;/-,;•/■.„ '■ ■'"■''"£:■:■ '• -All lights -were then turned off, and Mr. Wragge again-handed round his.specimens of :radium, : .:which,-in,tho darkness/ with' the.aid of the .willemito: stone or other agents, could bo seen' throwing, out thousands, of dancing, rays/' It 'had l 'been 'calculatod, Mr.. Wragge said;..that;the ; ismallest-. of;.these rays continueso to ;shmo/for.sooo.'years..;.; The 'spectators', were- also, shown how the radium light wis able to penetrate _a: handkerchief or ■ coat sleeve.;'. Radium, said .the: lecturer, was able ■ both, to destroy and '.prolong/ life,: and it '.'had-been surmised that it might .even bo found.'capable' /0f,,-: creating . ;life., -..Mr'. ■Wragge explained'how; the 1 life of a caterpillar; had ■ been' prolonged. ! 'a fortnight, beyond the; natural period by means of .radium, and throw out some humorous suggestions as ,to th'ei'possibility of -prolonging : human/ life to: 'the age .of: .Methuselah.';. He. hinted ..that if such a power : were '''discovered, through the agency, of radio-activity, : it would .be, a pleas-, ingandjiatrioticaction,to employ it on Sir Joseph Ward; the Provincial Commander.of the ■ Salvation Array,': and the newspapor editors of Wellington.•".'• Ho also' stated, that it'i.was • notat all improbable but that radium, which is-'-, found in pitch-blbh.de in... Austria and' American/might bo discovered in New 'Zealand. '• Explorers and . prospectors,/ .lie thought/should.carry with them the means/to identify tho wonderful substance. ■J' : ; Mr. Wragge's'first public lecture, ontitled, "A. Voyagb 'Through the Universe," will bo , given- in/.tho-Town Hall on Wednesday : 'night/':./'/• ;-.;..■; .', ■. ,■-..'■.■