DISCOVERY OF RADIUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19218, 8 July 1924, Page 8

DISCOVERY OF RADIUM.

latest in Ferghana, in Russian Turkccton, is the sourcif of the newest supply of radiuin. Pitch blend, from which radium is reouced, was for a time largely brought from Coloratio, states tho. Scientific Amcrinwi. Later discoveries of richer ore in tho Belgian Congo have resulted in forcing some of the American developments out of business. Now it is claimed ttvat the Turko-tan pitcliblcnd is much richer than that Bom the Congo sm<l efforts are being macs to develop the new find at once tor uso m hospitals. Our supply of radium is so limited that all that is recovered m tho world could bo placed in the pa m of one hand —if one did not value the America,, radium is available in the iarg-er centres yet it is stated than, not 5 per cent of the people who need treatment with radium can make use of it because there is not enough to go round. A group of four unnamed American philanthropises have united for tho purpose of securing, if possible, tho now supply from Turkestan and making it available to the public for medical use at, cost. Much radium is used on watch dials and for other luminous objects such as pendants for locating electric lights in the dark ' This radium is usually in tne form of radioactive barium sulphate, and its luminescence lasts only three or four years. After that it is for all practical purposes lost since few individuals would find a wav’ to return so small amount, to any central source of supply. A full pound of radium would bo worth aliout tO,OOO.Cc'J dollars.