LOSS TO SCIENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21844, 5 July 1934, Page 11

LOSS TO SCIENCE

MADAME CURIE DEAD RADIUM'S JOINT DISCOVERER (Received July 4. 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, July A The death has occurred in Valence, France, of Madame Curie, joint discoverer of radium. The late Madame Marie Curie (nee Sklodowska) was born in Warsaw in November, 1867, her father being a master at a secondary school. After completing her education she went to Paris where, as she was without moans, she took a post as laboratory attendant in the Chemical Institute at the Sorbonne. From that subordinate position she soon rose to be a research chemist and assistant to the director of tho institute, M. Pierro Curie, _ who later married her. She was investigating the ionisation of uranium salts when she found indications of the presence of an unknown substance, whereupon her husband, abandoning his work in connection with crystals, joined in her researches. In July, 1898, they were able to announce the discovery of polonium and in December that of radium. M. Curio then devoted himself to tho study of the properties of radium, while Madame Curie took up the preparation of pure salts of radium. For their epochmaking researches M. and Madame Curie in 1903 were awarded tho Nobel Chemistry Prize. Madame Curie wrote a number of papers on radio-activity. After the untimely death of her husband in 1906 as tho result of a motor accident Madame Curie succeeded him as a professor in the Faculty of Science at the Sorbonne and head of the Radium Institute there. In 1910 she was awarded the Albert Medal by the Royal Society of Great Britain and in 1911 she received once more tho Nobel Chemistry Prize. She was elected a member of the Academy of Medicine. In 1920 the Paris Municipal Council, at the suggestion of Madame Curie, set aside 2.500,000 francs for the development of tho Radium Institute, chiefly for the purchase of two grammes of radium at the cost of 800,000 francsper gramme, and it has been of great service in the treatment of cancer.