1 KLY REPUBLICAN: THURS 



RADIUM AT WILLIAMSTOWN 



GAS FOUND IN SANP SPRINGS 



"GOOD MEDICINE" OF THE INDIANS 



And of the White Man, Too, Found to 

 Be Due to the Properties of 

 Radium 



The discovery of radium in the waters 

 of Sand springs at Williamstown, widely 

 known because of their medicinal prop- 

 erties, made early in the summer, has 

 been followed by examination and study 

 by scientists, who have determined be- 

 yond any doubt that radium exists in the 

 spring, though to what extent it is a dif- 

 ficult matter to ascertain. Prof J. E. 

 Shrader and Assistant Prof Brainerd 

 Meals of the faculty of Williams college 

 have been examining the waters frequent- 

 ly for the past few months and each time 

 have found radium beyond question. The 

 springs from which this radium gas has 

 been taken are located on the north side 

 of Williauistown, about a mile from Will- 

 iams college. Thev are owned by Dr S. 

 ],. Lloyd, who has built there a sani- 

 tarium and large bathhouses, and they 

 have come into' popularity as a bathing 

 and summer resort. 



As far back as the springs have been 

 known in history there have been stories 

 of their wonderful healing properties. The 

 present owner came into their possession 

 in 1894. He was then a practicing physi- 

 cian in Williamstown and realized that 

 the. water of the springs had some peculiar 

 healing properties, particularly for skin 

 diseases and rheumatic troubles. He 

 bought the property of Foster E. Swift, a 

 well-known hotel man of North Adams, 

 and immediately began its development. 

 In 1895 he built a sanitarium, intending 

 to develop the springs solely for their 

 medicinal property. The place was sought 

 as a summer resort, however, and with 

 that there were added large bathing fa- 

 cilities until now the springs are widely 

 known as a bathing resort. The fact 

 that the water contains healing proper- 

 ties always gave the doctor a bit of trouble 

 because he was never able to determine 

 what thev were. Every analysis of the 

 water showed that it was almost pure, 

 the largest amount of mineral salts ever 



grains and 

 lffieient to be 



found 



fraction, which was not ~_ 

 of any practical medical value. 



About a year ago a chemist expressed 

 the opinion that the healing properties of 

 the water were due to the presence 'of 

 radium rather than to any mineral salts. 

 The positiveness of the chemist led the 

 doctor to place the water before Prof 

 Sbrader and Assistant Prof Hears. 

 Prof Shrader says that radium exists in 

 the water beyond doubt. He explained the 

 method of examination and said that when- 

 ever any gases had been obtained from the 

 spring they always showed radium, the 

 gases were caught as they bubbled up 

 and were closely confined, and the exam- 

 ination made as soon as they could be 

 taken to the laboratory. To whatever ex- 

 tent the radium exists, it cannot be, Prof 

 Shrader says, of any commercial value, ex- 

 cept bv the springs themselves. It is im- 

 possible to confine radium gas for , any 

 length of time, the longest that it has been 

 confined being four days. 



As far back as the days of the Indians 

 these springs were known as medicinal 

 springs. The old Mohawk trail passed not 

 far from them, and the Indians stopped 

 there every time they passed. Mason 

 Walker, who died six or eight years ago 

 at the age of 97, lived within a stone's 

 throw of the springs for SI years, and 

 remembered when a medicine man pitched 

 camp there and did a laud'ofMcs business 

 with the water as a healer. Aaron Smed- 

 ley, a member of a family of Williams- 

 town settlers, as early as 1762 told of the 

 value of the waters, according to "The 

 Origins of Williamstown," by the late Dr 

 A. P. Perry of Williams college. More 

 than 100 years ago there was a bath 

 house at the springs, for in 1S2C an old 

 paper published in Williamstown, "The 

 American Advocate," advertised the baths 

 and the healing water of the spring. 



The spring was then owned by a man 

 named West. For a time the property 

 was allowed to go down, but during this 

 time the springs were visited every year 

 by regular visitors, among whom was the 

 well-known Springfield hotel man, the 

 late Tilly Haynes, who was enthusiastic 

 over them. All kinds of stories have been 

 told of what the waters have done for the 

 sick and the lame, but so far as can be 

 ascertained they never made the blind see 

 nor the lame walk. It is certain, however, 

 that they have worked cures in many cases 

 of skin diseases and rheumatism, and sev- 

 eral instances are cited where they have 

 succeeded when physicians have failed. 

 The present owner has developed the wa- 

 fer as a table water, and is making from 

 it. a ginger ale and soda, building up a 

 considerable business in this line. No 

 great attention has ever been paid to the 

 curative side, and the examination of the 

 water the past summer . amp largely from 

 t lie curiosity of Dr Lloyd and the interest 

 of Prof Shrader and Assistant Prof 

 Mcars in the possibility that radium ex- 

 " id. 



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