THE PRICE OF RADIUM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1992, 24 February 1914, Page 4

THE PRICE OF RADIUM.

Tgs reported discovery of radium ore in this country, and the fuel that a,movement is on foot to establish a Radium Institute at Palmerston North lend additional interest, as far as New Zealand is concerned, to the discussion which has.recently taken place in eei'taiii London papers regarding the price of radium. _ The supply is at present very limited, and the cost is • extremely high—over £30 per milligramme (that is, about £580,000 an ounce). This enormous price does not appear to 'be altogether due to the cost and difficulty of extraction, for Dr. Lazarus-Barlow states that he has every reason, to believe from the statements of manufacturers that it could bo sold at a profit it ja. few shillings per milligramme. He further states _ that in a matter of I such urgency it becomes a question ■ as to whether the British Government should not assume control''of I the sources of radium for the benefit of the 35,000 persons .who die of cancer in tho United Kingdom every : year. In view of this statement ; the London Times made inquiries among those interested in the sale and purchase of radium, and it seems to be generally admitted that ■ the present price is an artificial and inflated one, though the idea of .State interference does hot meet with,, njiieh favour. The quantities bought and sold are so minute that it is almost impossible to fix a definite market value, and it is a very difficult matter to ascertain the cost of extraction as the estimates vary from a few shillings a milligramme to £5; hut the inquiries reveal a general agreement that the sale price, is out. of all proportion to the expense of production. Tho vendors naturally argue that it is purely a; •question of supply and demand, and as long as the present (Uvmatid continues the price must remain high, unless,' of course, some cheaper 'method of extraction is discovered. One authority declares that one result of the high prices now prevailing has been that radium is being sought for in ores of poorer grade, Which, in other circumstances would not have been worth working. Therefore, in spite of its expensive* ness more radium is being extracted than would otherwise have been the ■case. There is., o however, good : reason, for believing that the cost : will be considerably redUc'ed before . vcry > long, for the sources of supply are increasing and new. processes of extraction are being invented. Valuable finds have been; made in. Colorado and Utah,' and it is stated that during last year the United States produced as many grammes of. radium chloride as all the rest of ' the, world. Britain is assured of.a supply deposits of pitchblende, : and extraction works have been I erected in London, but owing to the. continually growing demand . new ..Works capable, of increasing ths output fivefold are expefcftd to be in , operation in April, An adequate supply of radium at moderate cost would be a boon to humanity, and ' it is to be hoped thai by the time ; the proposed institute at Palmer* ston. North is rea;dy to treats patients I a''Considerable''drop in price will have taken elace.