DISCOVERY OF RADIUM

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 146, 21 June 1924, Page 16

DISCOVERY OF RADIUM

LATEST SOURCE OF SUPPLY IN TURKESTAN.

Ferghana, in Russian Turkestan, is the source of the newest supply of" radium. Pitehhleud, from which radium is reduced, was for a time largely brought from Colorado, states the

"Scigntific American." Later discoveries of richer ore in the Belgian Congo have resulted in forcing some of the American developments put of business. Now it is claimed that the Turkestan piU'hbleml is muck^ richer than "that from the Congo arid efforts are being made to develop the' new find at once for use in hospitals. Our supply of radium is so limited that all that" is recovered in the world could be placed in the pajm of one band—if one did not yalue the hand, in America, radium is available in the larger centres, yet it is stated that not 5 per cent, of the people who need treatment with radjum can make use of it because there is not enough to go around. Jy group of four unnamed American philanthropists have united for the purpose of securing, if possible, the new supply from Turkestan and making it available to the public fpr medical use at cost.

radium is used.on watch dials and for other luminous objects such as pendants for locating electrip lights jn the dark. This radium is usually in the.form of radioactive barium sulphate, and its luminescence lasts only thv.ee or four years. After that it is for all practical purposes lost, since few jndiyiquals would find a way to return so small amount to any central source of supply. A full pound of radjnm would be worth abopt 50,000,000 dollars.