Report, September 12, 1927

COPY September 12,1927. I found at the beginning of my study that radium had been in use by medical profession for over a quarter of a century, and found that the treat- ment consisted of internal injections and external exposure. External exposure including the burial of "seeds" in malignant growths. Radium gives off three kinds of radiation - Alpha, Beta and Gamma. I was informed by physicists that Alpha rays are actually helium atoms carrying two positive units of electricity: that the penttrability of Alpha rays are very slight being absorbed by tissue paper or the film of a soap bubble. They possess powerful fluorescent photographic and ionizing powers, but very superficial in its action. Beta rays are negatively change electrons and are identical with the cathode rays of the X-ray tube. Colwell & Russ (Radium X-rays and the Tuning Cell, 1915 London, G. Bell & Sons: Campbell W.R) found that the initial value of the beta rays is reduced to 26% after passing through 42 m.m. of human tissue. Beta rays also possess strong photographic fluorescent and ionizing powers, tho to a lesser degree than the alpha ray. But becuase of its greater penetration, into the humantissue this ionization power is deeper. Gemma Rays with the exception of wave length are identical with X-rays. I found that there was a standard used in determining the X-ray dosage. For this purpose 2 milliamperes of current c 6" spark, a distance of 8" and an exposure of 3 mm. should cause evythema in two weeks. As far as I could learn no standard has been set in radium work, but because of the similarity of the rays one would expect that the text for avythema would give some idea of the strength of the dosage. Mesothorium is 250 times as active as radium vight for weight, but is sold according to equivalent in radium. In studying any industrial poison one must become familiar with the following facts: How absorbed into the body, where stored, how and when eliminated; what its earliest symptoms; lethal dose. In these cases there were two ways in which radioactive material was ingested; either through the gastrointestinal tract and absorption into body through the intentinal wall, or else inhaled into the lungs. Drinker took samples of the air and failed to find that it contained radio-active material. (See Drinker's report or letter to Company) This seems to eliminate the lungs as the way of ingestion, because very small quantities of radium are readily detected by means of the electroscope. Now the solubility of a salt affects the amount absorbed through the intestinal walls. Barium Sulphate is considered practically an insoluble salt in X-ray work, as is given a patient when certain X-rays are to be taken. Barium sulphate is 100 times more soluble than radium sulphate which salt of radium is the one supposed to be present in the luminous paint. Barium sulphate is soluble to the extent of .006 parts per 100 parts Hck. The digestive juice of the stomach contains about 0.4 0.50% Hck (Hawfk) This being true one would hardly expect to find but the smallest trace of radium sulphate dissolved and absorbed into the body by means of the body fluids.