RADIUM BOMBED

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 November 1934, Page 10

RADIUM BOMBED

OUT OF ALUMINIUM. LONDON. October 4. Mme. Curie-Joliot, the joint, discoverer with her husband of a method of producing radio-activity artificially, discussecl yesterday the significance to humanity of this important achievement.. She and her husband will today, attend the International Physics Conference in London, where her husband will make a statement, which is being. eagerly awaited by the scientists of many nations, about their joint discovery. “The fundamental thing about our discovery.’’ Mme. Curie-Joliot said, “is that we have produced new radioactive elements by tlie irradiation or bombarding of certain inactive elements such as boron, aluminium, and magnesium.

“The bombardment, has been done with protons, neutrons, and dipions, through high-tension, tubes and with alpha, rays. A 'small part of an inactive element is thus transformed into a new radio-active clement, which is, in effect, artificial radium. “So far we, and experimenters in England, the United States. Italy and elsewhere, wlif/ are following up our discovery, have only been able to produce small quantities of artificial radio-active elements. These are not powerful enough to be of use in the medical treatment of cancer.

“Our discovery was only made about a year ago. We are only on the threshold of its possibilities. Nothing is certain, but it seems probable to us that the time when artificial radioactive elements can bo used in hospitals and clinics is not very far away. “The energies and intensities at present obtained for producing accelorated particles allow us to hope that soon we shall bo able to produce by means of these particles, radioelements with an intensity of radiation comparable or even superior, to that of preparations of natural radioolements now available.

“Those radio-elements may be applied in medicine, and perhaps in other practical fields. When introduced, into the living body these substances must behave very differently from ordinary radio-elements on account of their different chemical properties, and because of their disintegration, without leaving any harmful radioactive residue.”

“Much research is still essential. We must find the uses and dangers of a, growing host of new radio-active elements. High-tension tubes of a greater tension and strength will have to be made. Then we shall see.” Mme. Curie-Jftliot, who is 35 years old, is the daughter of Mme. Curie, the discoverer of radium.