620 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVIII. No. 983 



claims, and if successful will be applied to 

 reducing the wastes that now take place. 

 "Within a year at most, the mill operations 

 should make results certain and the extrac- 

 tion of ore and production of radium will 

 then be continued on a larger scale. The 

 separation of uranium and vanadium will 

 also be studied, a contract having already 

 been signed for all of these by-products that 

 may be produced. All processes, details of 

 apparatus and plant, and general informa- 

 tion gained will be published for the benefit 

 of the people. 



The institute is supplied with sufficient 

 funds to carry out its plans. 



The institute has been formed for the 

 special purpose of procuring enough ra- 

 dium to conduct extensive experiments in 

 radium therapy with special reference to 

 the curing of cancer. It also expects to 

 carry on investigations regarding the phys- 

 ical characteristics and chemical effects of 

 radium rays and hopes in time to be able to 

 assist or perhaps even duplicate the effects 

 of these rays by physical means. 



Actual experience, especially of the insti- 

 tute 's president, in the application of the 650 

 milligrams of radium and 100 milligrams of 

 mesothorium already in his possession, have 

 led him and his associates to believe that with 

 larger supplies many of the variables that 

 can not now be controlled may be fully cor- 

 related, and that radium may become the 

 most effective agent for the treatment of 

 cancer and certain other malignant diseases. 

 Important results have already been ob- 

 tained by using high concentration of the 

 gamma rays of radium with the alpha rays 

 entirely cut off and the beta rays largely 

 eliminated. Hospital facilities in both Bal- 

 timore and New York are already supplied. 



The activities of the institute are sure 

 to be of benefit to the prospector and miner 

 by providing a greater demand for his al- 

 ready rare ore; to the plant operator by 



developing methods and by creating a larger 

 market for his product, and to the people 

 by assisting, and possibly by succeeding, in 

 controlling the most malignant of diseases. 

 The radium produced is intended for the 

 institute's own use and will consequently 

 remain at home. 



The Bureau of Mines is especially fortu- 

 nate in the opportunity to cooperate in the 

 technological features of the work of the in- 

 stitute. 



Charles L. Paesons 



Division of Mineral Technology, 

 Bureau op Mines 



THE DECENNIAL OF THE DESERT 

 LABOBATOBT 



The tenth anniversary of the establishment 

 of the Desert Laboratory was celebrated at 

 Tucson, Arizona, September 20. 



During the day demonstrations of re- 

 searches in progress were made to visitors, in- 

 cluding members of the International Phyto- 

 geographic Society, as follows: 



10:30 A.M. Suite of Plants ia Series of Environie 

 Eeactions. By Dr. D. T. MaeDougal. 



10:45 A.M. Professor W. L. Tower's Experiments 

 on the Influence of Environie Factors in the 

 Evolution of the Chrysomelid Beetles. By 

 Mr. J. G. Sinclair. 



11:00 A.M. Eesearehes on Water Eolations of 

 Plants. By Professor B. E. Livingston, as- 

 sisted by Mr. Pulling and Mr. Shive. 



12:00 A.M. Certain Features of Correlation Be- 

 tween Climate and Vegetation in the Tucson 

 Eegion. By Dr. Forrest Shreve. 



12:30 A.M. Experimental Studies in the Eoot- 

 habits of Desert Species. By Dr. W. A. Can- 

 non. 



2:00 P.M. Calorimetric Method of Determination 

 of Leaf-temperatures. By Mrs. Edith B. 

 Shreve. 



2:15 P.M. Comparative Light Measurements and 

 the Chemical Effects of Eadiant Energy ia 

 Plant Processes. By Dr. H. A. Spoehr. 



2:45 P.M. Exhibition of Progenies of Young 

 Plants Affected by Ovarial Treatments. By 

 Dr. D. T. MaeDougal. 



3:00 P.M. "Water Balance of Desert Plants. By 

 Dr. D. T. MaeDougal. 



