POPULAR SCIENCE 61 



this country. Public interest is, in fact, becoming more and 

 more focussed upon the curative values of radium, especially 

 in regard to cancer. At present it is as well to be cautious and 

 say that radium will probably form a valuable ally in fighting 

 cancer rather than to speak of it as a cure. It is early days to 

 claim anything more than that the outlook is hopeful. There 

 are, however, a number of other complaints, such as arthritis, 

 rodent ulcers, neuralgia, diabetes, gout, sciatica, etc., in some 

 of which treatment by radium and radium waters has worked 

 wonders. The beneficial qualities of certain spa waters, by the 

 way, are now attributed partly to the radium emanation they 

 contain. 



The public should, however, be cautioned against un- 

 certified radium treatment. The warning is very necessary 

 at the present time ; and the establishment of Radium Institutes 

 in all the large towns would give both the public and the medical 

 profession the assistance and safeguards to which they are 

 entitled. This is a scheme to which the Commissioners of the 

 National Health Insurance might well give close attention. 



