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November 19th, 1931.
Dr. Herman Schlundt,
University of Missouri,
Columbia, Mo.
Dear Dr. Schlundt:
You have doubtless read the press notice with reference
to the radium "highball" Dr. Luther S. H. Gable of the Detroit Institute
of Technology has been drinking, and claiming benefits therefrom.
This article by Dr. Gable has elicited considerable comment
by the press, and various people interested in this subject, smong whom are
Drs. Martland, Flinn, Fisila, etc. The general impression among these men
seems to be to the effect that the drinking of water charged with radon over
a prolonged period of time may be deleterious due to the accumulation of
active deposit of slow change in the system. They believe where small
quantities of radon are contained in the water that such storage may not
prove harmfull, but they do state that where large quantities, without specify-
ing the amount, are consumed over prolonged periods of time there is a
possibility of latent hazard.
As I reflect upon this matter such at position seems rather
far fetched, and I am herewith presenting some of my deductions with the hope
that you will look them over and point out to me wherein I am wrong, unless
you are in accord.
lie must first of all assume that in a native uranium ore
where all the various disintegration products of uranium are in equilibrium,
that the number of alpha particles emitted from the amount of radium F (Polon-
ium) would be 3.57 X 10-10. On the other hand the amount of radium F which
would be in equilibrium with one gram of radium would be approximately 0.26
milligrams. However, in order to reach the greatest possible activity of
radium F4 we would have to collect the active deposit from radium for a period
of over 100 years. Where the radon is removed from its source, radium, and
used to charge water, this of course, is entirely impractical, and when such
radon is introduced into the system only part of it lines and decays there,
and the rest is eliminated - therefore, the amount of alpha radiation arising
from the deposition of the active deposit of slow change must be extremely
small.
I have been trying to figure out some method whereby we
might arrive at a simple calculation, although largely hypothesical it might
give us some basis for estimating the possible number of alpha rays which
would be emitted from the active deposit which could possibly remain in the
-2-
system with the ingestion of a known amount of radon introduced in water.
A good part of all this publicity is due to the rather narrow attitude
which Dr. Martland takes upon this subject. I don't know whether you have
read his recent article in the Journal of Cancer. Undoubtedly from the
pathologiests standpoint he presents his subject matter very well - but, I am
still of the opinion that Dr. Martland has not had sufficient experience
with the use of radium to make some of the statements which he does.
Perhaps you can suggest a line of reasoning that might be the basis
for putting a stop to some of these wild speculative claims which they are
making. At least I would appreciate your suggestions on the subject.
Sincerely yours,
Vice President.
HHBarker:RH
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"ocrText": "November 19th, 1931.\nDr. Herman Schlundt,\nUniversity of Missouri,\nColumbia, Mo.\nDear Dr. Schlundt:\nYou have doubtless read the press notice with reference\nto the radium \"highball\" Dr. Luther S. H. Gable of the Detroit Institute\nof Technology has been drinking, and claiming benefits therefrom.\nThis article by Dr. Gable has elicited considerable comment\nby the press, and various people interested in this subject, smong whom are\nDrs. Martland, Flinn, Fisila, etc. The general impression among these men\nseems to be to the effect that the drinking of water charged with radon over\na prolonged period of time may be deleterious due to the accumulation of\nactive deposit of slow change in the system. They believe where small\nquantities of radon are contained in the water that such storage may not\nprove harmfull, but they do state that where large quantities, without specify-\ning the amount, are consumed over prolonged periods of time there is a\npossibility of latent hazard.\nAs I reflect upon this matter such at position seems rather\nfar fetched, and I am herewith presenting some of my deductions with the hope\nthat you will look them over and point out to me wherein I am wrong, unless\nyou are in accord.\nlie must first of all assume that in a native uranium ore\nwhere all the various disintegration products of uranium are in equilibrium,\nthat the number of alpha particles emitted from the amount of radium F (Polon-\nium) would be 3.57 X 10-10. On the other hand the amount of radium F which\nwould be in equilibrium with one gram of radium would be approximately 0.26\nmilligrams. However, in order to reach the greatest possible activity of\nradium F4 we would have to collect the active deposit from radium for a period\nof over 100 years. Where the radon is removed from its source, radium, and\nused to charge water, this of course, is entirely impractical, and when such\nradon is introduced into the system only part of it lines and decays there,\nand the rest is eliminated - therefore, the amount of alpha radiation arising\nfrom the deposition of the active deposit of slow change must be extremely\nsmall.\nI have been trying to figure out some method whereby we\nmight arrive at a simple calculation, although largely hypothesical it might\ngive us some basis for estimating the possible number of alpha rays which\nwould be emitted from the active deposit which could possibly remain in the\n-2-\nsystem with the ingestion of a known amount of radon introduced in water.\nA good part of all this publicity is due to the rather narrow attitude\nwhich Dr. Martland takes upon this subject. I don't know whether you have\nread his recent article in the Journal of Cancer. Undoubtedly from the\npathologiests standpoint he presents his subject matter very well - but, I am\nstill of the opinion that Dr. Martland has not had sufficient experience\nwith the use of radium to make some of the statements which he does.\nPerhaps you can suggest a line of reasoning that might be the basis\nfor putting a stop to some of these wild speculative claims which they are\nmaking. At least I would appreciate your suggestions on the subject.\nSincerely yours,\nVice President.\nHHBarker:RH"
}