The British War Relief Society states that the bombing of English towns, specially London, is working hardship on sufferers from cancer because of the possible destruction of radium supplies in various hospitals, reports the New York "Times." So far as this department can learn, there are about 28 grams of radium in Great Britain—less than half of what we have.
Most of this is in the possession of five London hospitals and of one Manchester hospital. And all of it is now kept in bomb-proof vaults underground and is run in and out on overhead trolleys as the sirens dictate.
London hospitals are keeping their radium underground not only because they need it for the treatment of cancer but also because its loss would be a menace to millions. Even small amounts of radium which have been scattered by an explosion can do an immense amount of harm if it finds its way into water used for cooking or drinking or if it is even breathed, Radium is worth millions of dollars a pound, but a minute 5 cents worth is highly destructive to the human organism.
Radium acts very much like calcium in the body, That is, the blood' stream picks up radium and deposits it in the bones, The powerful rays given off attack the bones and break them down. There is no way of stopping the process, though it can be delayed by medical treatment (a sort of washing) which removes some of the calcium from the bones and hence some of the radium, Death ensues in the long run.
There are not more than two pounds of radium in the world, and these two pounds are worth about $18,000,000. Much more radium is needed than is available. Hence the importance of X-ray apparatus, which is increasing in penetrating "power. Great Britain's plight is hard because many hospitals have been struck. Whether or not X-ray machines have been destroyed this department does not know. It seems likely.
Radium disintegrates spontaneously. As it does so it gives off electrons (bits of electricity which constitute a lightning flash or a flow of current in 2 wire when enough of them can be herded), alpha particles (cores of helium atoms) and gamma rays, which are like X-rays but much more powerful. The gamma rays break down tumors, which is why radium is of such importance in the treatment of cancer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.