Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/766

 MEDICAL 73S strength of the " rays " which are to be allowed to penetrate the skin are definitely stated. A Scientific Miracle Madame Curie found that radium gives out three tyx>es of rays, which were named after the first three Greek letters— Alpha, Beta, and Gamma rays. These rays are being constantly showered by radium into space, and yet, in apparent contradiction to all physical laws, radium does not loose in the slightest degree its weight or bulk. It gives off heat without getting cooler. It gives off emanations as part of itself without any apparent change. That seems, on the face of it, to be a modern miracle ; but the probability is that radium does lose energy, but so slowly that no loss would be apparent for hundreds, even thousands, of years. It would take nearly a million years to lose fifty per cent, of its bulk through its rays and emanations. The Alpha, Beta, and Gamma rays differ in their characteristics and effects upon tissues. The Alpha and Beta rays, for example, carry a charge of electricity. The Gamma rays do not. The Gamma rays are of the nature of X-rays, and they can penetrate deeply into the tissues. Alpha rays, which burn the skin, can be " cut off," when a superficial action is not required, simply by inserting a layer of paper between the disc and the skin. A thin sheet of aluminium or lead will cut off the Beta rays when it is desired to do so. The type of rays required depends altogether upon the type of disease, and whether it is situated in the skin or in the deeper tissues. One application of these rays is sometimes enough to completely cure a small ulcer of a malignant kind which will resist all other methods of treatment ; but when larger areas of skin are diseased, a longer time is necessary to allow the applicator to be moved from one point to another. The small amount of radium in existence, and its immense expense, curtails scientific op- portunity for experimenting in the treatment of disease. Although it is known that it can be obtained from pitch-blende, the labour and expense of the process is enormous. From one ton of pitch -blende it is unlikely that a quarter of agramme of radium could be extracted. Almost every milligramme, or one thousandth part of a gramme, which is in existence to-day is accounted for, and its whereabouts are known. Although so valuable commercially, it is unlikely that radium will prove a temptation to burglars, as it would be an even more undesirable possession than the proverbial white elephant. If carried in the pocket it would produce a deep sore in the skin and flesh. It has a destructive action upon diamonds, and can do all sorts of irreparable injuries if it is not in the hands of a competent person who understands its properties. The gas which is given off by radium shines by its own light, affording an effect similar to the glow-worm. When subjected to the intense cold of liquid air, this emanation forms a rare gas, called helium, one of the elements existing m the sun. It may be, therefore, that radium is an element breaking up and giving out energy during the process. It is found in the deposits of the hot mineral waters at Bath and Buxton, and probably exists in large quantities in the centre of the earth. Among other famous scientists who have investigated the properties of radium are M. Bccquerel, Sir William Crookes, Prof. J J Thompson, Sir William Ramsay, Prof. Ruther- ford, and Mr. Soddy. In recognition of their great discovery, M. and Madame Curie were the recipients of many scientific honours and distinctions. In April, 1906, however, M. Curie was killed in a street accident in Paris. The British Radium Institute Great things are expected when an institute has been opened in London on the lines of the radium institute in Paris. There is great scope for inquiry and experiment with regard to radium in the treatment of tumours and other diseases in the deeper tissues. Nothing very definite can be said at the present time as to the effect of radium in the treatment of cancer. Some cases of cancer can, no doubt, be influenced for the better by radium applications, which may, indeed, prove curative in superficial cancers of the face, but to say that radium is a certain remedy for deep-seated cancers is only to raise the hopes of suffering people and doom them to the agony of disappointment. Time alone can tell whether this great discovery will alleviate the vast amount of suffering that cancer brings to human nature. The experiments which have been made in Paris prove that it arrests morbid growth. Its effect upon long-standing eczemas, acnes, ulcers, and skin tumours has certainly been proved to be curative. We can only hope that future experiments will bear out the ex- pectation that radium may revolutionise medical and surgical science. There is, again, great field for research into the influence of radium upon the microbes of disease. " What is radium likely to do for consump- tion, and other forms of malignant disease besides cancer ? " " What effect will the emanations have if inhaled into the respiratory passages ? " " What effect might not solutions of radium emanations have upon the health of the diseased skin ? " These are questions which only time will answer. "Radium Emanation" Radium emanation is obtained by dissolving salt of radium in water and bubbling air through the solution. This offspring or offshoot of radium has properties just as remarkable as those of the parent body, and in the future will be used extensively in treating disease. There is no doubt that radium treatment can be utilised in many skin affections which would not otherwise be curable except by operations, which leave scars. Scars themselves will disappear by the application of radium. The scars after operations and the scars left by injuries or wounds simply vanish as a result of radium treatment. From what has been said it can readily be gathered that there are immense possibilities in radium treatment. The results are already so miraculous as to provide a risk that the success of radium treatment may be utilised to advertise quack remedies as emitting radium rays. To guard against this it ought to be prohibited to use the name of radium in connection with any medical or surgical agents which do not actually contain the substance. As far as present knowledge goes, however, it seems unlikely that radium will be very plentiful or within the reach of any but a privileged few because of its immense cost.