Section III, 1913 [163] Trans. R.S.C. 



On the Amount of Radium and Radium Emanation Present in the 

 Waters of Several Western Springs. 



By R. W. Boyle and D. McIntosh, F.R.S.C. 



Presented by D. McIntosh, F.R.S.C. 



(Read May 28, 1913) 



While a number of Canadian rocks and minerals have been shown 

 to contain a minute amount of radium, as far as we are aware the only 

 determinations of this element in waters have been made by Dr. A. S. 

 Eve in his study of the Caledonia Springs. (Trans. Can. Roy. Soc. Iv. p. 

 55). We have examined the waters of three Western springs, and as 

 two contain radium and radium emanation, the results of our analyses 

 may be put on record. 



The samples were from Fairmount, Sinclair and Banff. All these 

 waters are warm and contain considerable amounts of calcium salts. 

 The Sinclair water in its salt content is much like that of Bath, England. 



500 c.c. of the water were acidified with hydrochloric acid, and the 

 gases containing the radium emanation removed by boiling and collected 

 over mercury. After absorption of carbon dioxide the gases were 

 transferred to an electroscope, and the rate of the fall of the gold leaf 

 determined. The flask was sealed, and after several weeks the radium 

 emanation was again boiled off and determined. The electroscope 

 was standardized on several occasions by means of radium bromide 

 or by autonite of known uranium content. 



The results given in the following table are expressed in millionths 

 of milligrams of radium per litre of water. 



Emanation in equi- 

 librium with Radium. Radium 



Sinclair 4.0 trace. 



Fairmount 3.5 0-10 (?) 



Banff ? trace. 



The content of radium in two of these springs is from ten to twenty 

 times that in the Caledonia Spring waters. 



