1 20 Biochemical News, Notes and Comment [Oct. 



its cost, $20,000, woiild be prohibitive. But. for a comparatively 

 trifling sum the Inst, can supply a plate containing radium emana- 

 tion which will have the same effect. There is this difference, how- 

 ever, the activity of the emanation decreases, falling to one-half 

 strength in three and one-half days. At present, i gm. of radium 

 is devoted wholly to producing emanation for distribution, and as 

 the demand is so great, 1.5 gm. is about to be used. Another 

 branch of the activity of the Inst, is the supply of water impreg- 

 nated with radium emanation for consumption in certain affections. 

 The Inst, is supplying radium-emanation Solution of a strength of 

 from I to 2 millicuries per liter. 



The Radium Inst, was opened in Aug., 191 1, and since that time 

 the work has steadily increased. At first it was open from 8 a. m. 

 to 6 p. m. for the purpose of treating patients. So numerous were 

 the poor patients that a night clinic had to be added sixteen months 

 ago. It is open until 11.30 p. m., and sometimes until midnight. . . . 

 During the month of August the Inst, was closed in order that mem- 

 bers of the staff, who were working at high pressure and all of 

 whom have radium burns on their hands, might have a holiday and 

 rest, which is the only known eure for these burns. 



The quantity of radium in the Inst, is, at the present price, of 

 the value of $400,000, and amounts to 4 gm, (London letter: 

 Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 1913, Ixi, p. 1469.) 



Dangers of radium. The assist. med. sup't, Dr. Arthur Bur- 

 rows, of the Radium Inst., London, states that most of the staff 

 have been burned to a greater or less extent at some time or another. 

 In his own case he found the skin peeling off his fingers when he 

 went to play golf. The nurses, however, who do most of the 

 actual handling, suffer most. In addition to the more or less pain- 

 less skin-peeling, the finger nails become brittle and split down the 

 Center, ulcerated Spots appear, and in time the hands become totally 

 anesthetic. It is curious that the hands of those who have much 

 to do with radium are always far more susceptible to heat than to 

 cold. Gloves are not much protection. The only thing to do when 

 the fingers show these Symptoms is to have nothing to do with 

 radium until they recover. Those who develop burns are usually 

 given some work in connection with the Inst, which does not involve 



