d with radium or
paraffin will give off carbon dioxide. Under an intense alpha
radiation paraffin or vaseline become hard and infusible. White
phosphorus is changed into red.

The action upon living tissue is most noteworthy, as its possible use
as a remedial agent is dependent upon this. A small amount of a radium
salt enclosed in a glass tube will cause a serious burn on flesh
exposed to it. It therefore has to be handled with care and undue
exposure to the radiations must be avoided. Cancer sacs shrivel up and
practically disappear under its action. Whether the destruction of
whatever causes the cancer is complete is at least open to serious
doubt.

The coagulating effect upon globulin is interesting. When two
solutions of globulin from ox serum are taken and acetic acid added to
one while ammonia is added to the other, the opalescence in drops of
the former is rapidly diminished on exposure to radium, showing a more
complete solution, whereas the latter solution rapidly turns to a
jelly and becomes opaque, indicating a greatly decreased solubility.

Energy Evolved by Radium

The greater part of the tremendous energy evolved by radium is due to
the emission of the alpha particles, and in comparison the beta and
gamma rays together supply only a small fraction. This energy may be
measured as heat. It was first observed that a radium compound
maintained a temperature several degrees higher than that of the air
around it. The rate of heat production was later measured by means of
an ice calorimeter and also by noting the strength of the current
required to raise a comparison tube of barium salt to the same
temperature. Both methods showed that the heat produced was at the
rate of about 135 gram calories per hour. As the emission is
continuous, one gram of radium would therefore emit about 1,180,000
gram calories in the course of a year. At the end of 2000 years it
would still emit 590,000 gram calories per year. Such a production of
energy so far surpasses all experience that it becomes almost
inconceivable. It is futile to speak of it in terms of the heat
evolved by the combustion of hydrogen, which is the greatest that can
be produced by chemical means.

This effect is unaltered at low temperatures, as has been tested by
immersing a tube containing radium in liquid air. It should be stated
that these measurements were made after the radium had reached an
equilibrium with its products; that is, after waiting a