Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1911 — RADIUM KILLED MANY CATS [ARTICLE]

RADIUM KILLED MANY CATS

One Csncer Patient Got Well, Bui Beven Died After Treatment—Objection la Excessive Coat. London.—Sir William Ramsay, the discoverer of the atmospheric gases argon, neon, krypton and xenon and the leading authority on the transmu* tation of radium, gave his experiences of the effects of radium on life, following the experiment at Alfort, nea* Paris, of Prof. Gabriel Petit, who says he found that an old horse in whom radium had been injected deceived a new lease on life. “The experiment,” said Sir William, “has been frequently tried both on animals and on human beings, but with no very positive results. I have tried radium Injections on cats and the effect was that they became emacl ated after a short time and eventually died. It produces profound alterations of the tissues. “Of eight persons suffering from cancer who received injections of radium, one recovered, but the others did not, so that It is difficult to say what were the effects of the radium, if any. “The external application of radium for certain kirnjLs of cancer undoubtedly effects a cure, hut in other kinds sometimes results are attained and eoitietimes not. The skin undoubtedly shows radio-activity for some time, and the effect on many persons may be of a stimulating nature. “One of the greatest objections to the use of radium—for injections would be Its excessive cost.”