Letters Received to Mr. Wallhauser [C. W. Wallhauser], July 19, 1943

Columbia Unibersity College of Physicians and Gurgeons DE LAMAR INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH 600 WEST 168TH STREET, NEW YORK DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE July 19, 1943. Dear Mr. Walhauser: : The following a quotation taken from an article entitled 11 The Importance of Trace Elements in Biologi- cal Activity 11 by Oskar Baudisch, Research Director Saratoga Spring Commission, State of New York, published American Scientist, the magazine of Sigma Xi will interest you. I just received my copy today. " Radium is the element known to be present in the smallest amount in living tissue. It is, in fact, the element which de- serves the name "trace" element, while possessing an incredi- bly large physiological action. The normal human tissue con- tains radioactive matter of the order of 10 g. or 186 atoms of radium per cell, if figured out in the same way as for iron. A 1070g. equivalent of radium per gram leads to serious injury and ultimately to death. There is as yet no scientific evidence that radium has any indispensable physiological function in the normal healthy living cell. " I will be glad to let you see this article but that is all he says about radium. Sincerely G. B. G.lum.