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November 19th, 1931.
Dr. Herman Schlundt,
University of Missouri,
Columbia, Mo.
Dear Dr. Schlundt:
You have doubtless read the prese notice with reference
to the radium "highbell" 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 presa, and various people interested in this subject, among whom are
Drs. Bartland, Flinn, Fialla, etc. The general impression among these men
seems to be to the effect that the drinking of water charred 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 metter such a 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 an wrong, unlese
you are in accord.
We 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 redium F which
would be in equilibrium with one gram of radium would be approxinately 0.26
milligrams. However, in order to reach the greatest possible activity of
radium F 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 aystem only part of it likes 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 mist be extremely
small.
I have been trying to figure out sone method whereby we
might arrive at a simple calculation, although largely hypothesical it night
give us some basis for estimating the possible number of alpha rays which
would be emitted from the active deposit which could possibly renain in the
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"ocrText": "November 19th, 1931.\nDr. Herman Schlundt,\nUniversity of Missouri,\nColumbia, Mo.\nDear Dr. Schlundt:\nYou have doubtless read the prese notice with reference\nto the radium \"highbell\" 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 presa, and various people interested in this subject, among whom are\nDrs. Bartland, Flinn, Fialla, etc. The general impression among these men\nseems to be to the effect that the drinking of water charred 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 metter such a 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 an wrong, unlese\nyou are in accord.\nWe 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 redium F which\nwould be in equilibrium with one gram of radium would be approxinately 0.26\nmilligrams. However, in order to reach the greatest possible activity of\nradium F 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 aystem only part of it likes 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 mist be extremely\nsmall.\nI have been trying to figure out sone method whereby we\nmight arrive at a simple calculation, although largely hypothesical it night\ngive us some basis for estimating the possible number of alpha rays which\nwould be emitted from the active deposit which could possibly renain in the"
}