RADIUM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 74, 25 September 1923, Page 8

RADIUM

INSTALLATION IN WELLINGTON

THE BEST PLAN.

Mr. Stuart Wilson has asked "The Post" to publish the following interesting information he'has just obtained from material placed at his disposal by an authority on radium from abroad:— "There are, broadly speaking, two methods of applying radium therapeutically, namely—(l) Applications by means of needles, plaques, or tubes, in which the radium element is hermetically sealed; and (2) applications of radium 'emanation' enclosed in small; glass tubes. "The use of the second method has proved to be the more flexible and economical of the two, because this 'emanation' is a gas which radium element itself throws off spontaneously at a definite rate, possessing the' same intensity of radio-activity, of equivalent therapeutic value, but giving certain physical advantages over the element. One gramme (i.e., 1000 milligrammes) of radium element gives off more than 1000 millicuries of this gas every seven days. By this means, it may be seen, radium multiplies itself 52 times each year in the form of this gas. -In other words, its employment in this way. makes it possible to use yearly the equivalent of 52,000 milligrammes (value £884,000) from 1000 milligrammes of the element (value £17,000). > Thus the difference, namely, £867,000, .represents the yearly gain of this radio-active gas. The gas, being both compressible and expansive, makes it possible to prepare emanation tubes of equal activity to any given quantity of radium element, but as email a3 one-twentieth of its size. This is an advantage over the use of radium element, since it permits of the administration of an intensely powerful radiation in a small area.

"Radium emanation (gas) is obtained through the operation of what is termed a 'radium emanation apparatus/ which may _be conveniently installed in any hospital. The drawing-off of the gas does not depreciate the quantity or value of the radium itself, which always disintegrates at the fixed rate of 1 per cent, each twenty-five -years. Its period of usefulness, therefore, extends over a term of 2500 years. However, the same is not true of the gas, which reaches the maximum of its intensity a few hours after collection, decays at a fixed rate to halfvalue within three and a, half days,' and completely disappears by the end of thirty days. It will be seen, therefore, that the value of radium emanation depends in a large measure upon its use soon after its accumulation and during the period of its intense radio-activity.

NOT A CENTRAL INSTITUTE.

In the light of this information, it will be seen that a 'Central Radium Institute to serve the whole of New ZeaJand, as has been proposed.is impracticable, owing to the comparatively fast rate of decay of the gas and other factors attending its collection and distribution, making it only possible of application within a radius of about 100 miles of the place of its. preparation, and then only to a very limited number of patients at a distance. In any event, the treatments are in nearly all cases better administered at the hospital where the emanation is prepared. It is interesting to learn that the actual applications are in this majority of cases absolutely painless, and that, excepting for involved cases and those requiring surgical intervention, radium treatment does not necessitate the patient's going to bed for longer than a few hours, and in most cases - ; not at all.

"It seems that the best plan would be to follow Auckland's example and have a, supply of one-gramme of radium at weUington, at a." "cO6t of about £20 000 and to leave it open to Chris'tehurch and Dunedi,, to doSthe same if they so desire. If the public hospital at each of these centres is .equipped with that quantity,, normal needs will be better and more impartially served than would be possible by an aggregation of three or four grammes at a Central Radium. Institute. Thus, more cases could be treated, and without delay. Under such a plari, local interest would be maintained m each centre, and the considerable overhead expense of a large and independently operated institute avoided It would simply be a matter of adding another department (using- very small floor space) to each of these four hospitals with only one additional employee to each instead of the medical, technical, and lay staffs that would be required U> conduct a, large radium institute but without any apparent gain. This plan has been' adopted elsewhere, notable instances being at London and Manchester, each of which has its separate supply o f radium with emanation apparatus, although only a few hours journey apart. Reports .published h R Lff% fcWO c(? ntres sh°w that London started to use its radium supply as far back at 1911, since when 108?W0 radium treatments have been administered ther™ Manchester acquired its supply in 1915 WmeU 1"'Saamillister6d.over 20.000