Central High School - EN EM Yearbook (North Manchester, IN)

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“ AS YOU LIKB IT. the salt of uranium was extracted, only a few grains of the unknown material remained. This unknown material they called “Radium from its influence on other elements and compounds. According to the Lancet method, operations for the extraction arc commenced by crushing the pitchblende and then roasting the powder with carbonate of soda After this compound is washed, the residue is treated with d lute sulphuric acid; then the sulphates are converted into carbonates by boiliug with carbonate of so la. The residue contains radium sulphate, which is an exceedingly insoluble salt. The soluble sulphates are washed out and the residue or insoluble portion is easily acted upon by hydrochloric acid, which takes out, among other things, polonium and actinium. Radium sulphate remains unattacked. associated with barium sulphate. The sulphates are then converted into carbonates by treatment with a strong boiling solution of car-bonate of soda. The carbonates of barium and radium are next dissolved in hydrochloric acid and reprecipitated as sulphates by means f sulphuric acid. The sulphates are further purified and ultimately converted into chloids, until ab mt fifteen pounds of barium and radium cliloid are obtained by acting upon one ton .of crushed pitchblende. Only a small fraction of this mixture is pure radium chloride, which is finally separated from barium chloride by cystallization. the crystals from the most radioactivcof the solutions being selected. In this way the crystals ultimately obtained arc relatively pure radium cliloid of a very high degree of radioactivity. It was only last March that eminent men of science refused to jioccpt the statement, so irreconcilable to scientific experience, that radium possesses the property of maintaining a tempera- ture at a point three degrees higher than that of its surroundings. But the fact that in addition to the marvelous radio-active properties already described, radium has this unique power of the emission of heat, has been established beyond doubt. Strenuous efforts have been made to ol»-tain accurate measurements of this heat production and to determine the effects of external conditions in promoting and retarding it. Professor Curie found that its heat emission remains unchanged thru a wide range of temperature, there being no perceptible variation at the temperature of a summer day. or that of liquid air: but if a downward stride is taken from the temperature of liquid air to that of liquid hydrogen, radium shows that it is not unaffected by the external temperature. But the amazing tiling about radium is the fact that the change in the rate of the emission of heat within the comparatvely short distauce of absolute zero is m exactly the opposite direction from that which might be expected in view of the effect of low temperatures on ordinary chemical action, for at the temperature of liquid hydrogen the heat emission of radium, instead of being reduced is augmented, in simple linguage. the substance which does not change its heat at all temperatures, from that of an ordinary room to that of liquid air. gives out its greatest h.at when subjected to the greatest cold that scientists have yet reached. These experiments with liquid hydrogen have led to the curious discovery that freshly prepared salt of radium has a comparatively feeble power to give off heat at all temperatures; but the power steadily increases for about a month when it reaches its maximum activity, which it retains a •parentlv indefinitely. Radium emits with great intensity all of the different rays that are produced in a vacuum tube. The radiation, measured by means of an electroscope is at least a million times more powerful than that from ail equal quantity of uranium. A charged electroscope placed at a distance of several meters can be discharged by a few centigrams of a radium salt. It seems that radium is not content with giving a-rays, b-rays and v-rays; but it also gives off a heavy gas. When this gas is collected in a glass vacuum tube and sealed off. spectrum analysis indicates that it changes in the course of some days from radium to helium. The rate of emanation lias been calculated to be such as would convert radium entirely into helium in the course of two millions of years, if helium lie the only substance thrown off. The old Alchemists sought vainly to convert one metal into another. The recent conclusion of physicists that atoms of substances are complex structures, of which ions arc the component parts, lias paved the way for the revived belief that matter is evanescent in type, and that it is capable of being changed from one substance to another It now seems as tho radium may be one of those forms of matter which exist in a condition of ionic or subatomic instability, and that radium may be the means by which the atoms of one element can be changed in such a manner as to form an entirely different substance. Radium is not much used in the chemical laboratory but mostly in medical treatments. Cancer. the most dreaded and fatal of diseases is succumbing under the radium treatment, the concentrated sun's rays. Physicians are experimenting by outward application « f the radium and. after preparing the body inwardly, are administering Page Twenty-Two

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•• AS YOU LIKK IT Senate learned t know that lie never proposed to undertake anything in public affairs except from patriotic motives. If lie advocated a particular piece of legislation, it was from conviction. As a man. Mr. Hanna was kindliearted, sympathetic, genial in manner, and earnestly desirous of helping those who were willing to help themselves His friends in Cleveland have testified to the fact that no deserving jiorson ever appealed to him in vain. The assassination of President McKinley at Buffalo was a severe blow to Senator Hanna. It was remarked by those who saw him at the funeral that he had aged years during the few days following the shooting of his lifelong friend. Following the death of the President, Mr. llanna took up the work of the Civic Federation, devoting much time, energy and money to the betterment oi civic conditions, especially in so far as they were affected by the relations ol capital and labor. As the harmonious relations ot Mr. Hanna and his employes, for many years, became more fully known, they added to the influences. working in his behalf, until it is safe to say, that no man occupied so high a position in the regard of union labor, as did Mr. Hanna. Politics, especially that of his own state, occupied much of his attention, as before, and he fully manifested his strength in the State Campaign of 1903. when lie spoke for Colonel Herrick. He was considered the most successful speaker sent out in the state, especially in the manufacturing centers, ami the majority for Herrick was unprecedented. Mr. Hanna, altlio he made but few speeches in the Senate, was always ready in a sros-» tire deflate, and was an industrious and effective committee worker Mr. Hanna's death occurred February 15, 1904. Death came painlessly, and so quietly that even the watchers did not know he was going. It has been likened to the fluttering out of a candle. He did not regain conciousuess. and he passed away without a murmur. During the la t two weeks, in the opinion of some of the doctors, there was no chance of recovery. The burial took place on February 18. from lii home in Cleveland. The death of Senator Hanna was a severe blow to bis party. Political lenders, on both sides, realize the probable effect of his death. They have agreed that his death, coming as it does, at the opening of a Presidential Campaign, and probably followed by a hitter factionral light in his home state, may have an extraordinary effect ujx 11 the next election. It is evident that no one. in the Republican ranks, can tak: his place and make a success, lie has had experience and had an extraordinary influence, especially in raising campaign funds. It is feared that the labor men will stray from the party. He handled the labor end of the campaign himself, and but few others undcrsto.nl the means he adopted to achieve his ends. The whole nation mourn- th death of Mr. Hanna. Leaders of both parties realize the loss. Senator llanna was the soul of honor, candor and open dealing. Instead of being as some liked to consider him. a cerator of trusts, he was one of the most powerful champion % of laboring people that the country has ever known. He believed in his party. Joseph ». Cannon said. “As a business men. political manager and legislator, combining these qualifications, which distinguished men m each of these groups. Mr. Hanna was the most peaceful citizen of the United States. Radium Georgt Garber. In the ancient times chemists were ontinually trying to change the grosser metals into gold. Tins preliminary study of chemistry is known as Alchemy. It seems that the belief of the Alchemists i . being justified by the discovery of “Radium. Up until a year ago the atom was considered the smallest division of matter. Now the hypothesis is that the atoms themselves consist of a constellation of negative and positive electrons. This is. however, not fully proved, and it is certainly curious that no individual electron has yet been found in the free state. But let us turn our attention to the causes which brot about these effects. A Frenchman, by the name of Bequcrcl. who was a scientist and photographer, had some plates t.» finish. He wrapped these undeveloped negatives in paper which was impervious to light and placed them in a drawer which also excluded all light. When he went to get the negatives in a few days to develop them, he found that they had been affected. As there was some salt of uranium in the drawer at the ti n. tint the negatives were lying there. Bequercl at on:ethot th it the salt was the cause of the effect on the plate . Upon experimenting with the salt on some negatives, he found that the silt alone would not effect them. He then analyze 1 the salt and found a substance of strange properties but did not know what it was. Bequcrcl turue 1 his experiment over to Madame Sklowatnki. who wa aided by her husband. They decided that this salt could be analyzed from pitchblende. They obtained several tons of the pitchblende, which in found only in Colorado, Bohemia, and Saxony, and discovered that when Pago Twenty-One

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•• AS YOU UK ft IT ' fluorescent thuds, which under action of the radium, lloo l the ImxIt with sunshine. By the discovery of radium a new field of chemistry has been opened, altho there were many before its discovery. If the experiments of trying to turn foreign substances into gold a'-e succesful, gold will be cons.derably depreciated in value. Thus it is seen how little men know of their surroundings, For over two thousand of years men have been experimenting and looking into the earth's crust, seeking for what ever they may find. Such a thing as radium seems very comprehensible at this day and age of the world, but had a man advanced a theory fifty years ago that there were elements in the sun's rays, he would have been scorned and confined in an insane asylum. Altho. we are today, much farther advance I along all lines of education, yet there is still room for discovery for the ambitious scientist and a place on top of the building called “Success. Th ? ‘Poultry Industry. Lloyd Mishler. Iii tliis age of science there is. probably, nothing which has occasioned more scientific research or in return received more benefit from systematic investigations than the poultry industry. In the early part of the past century poultry culture was receiving some special attention in Western Kuropc. but it was not until the early fifties that ••henfever rose to an abnormal temperature iii this country. The excitement wasdue to the introduction of the varieties known as the Brahma and the Bolton Grey. A great utility breed had long been desired and now they seem to have, for the Brahmi fowls were large and a single hen of this variety established at that time the unparalleled record of laying 313 eggs in 333 consecutive days. Gradually other breeds were imported among which were the so-called -‘full feathered Cochins. Although the Brahma had no more use for those extra feathers than it would have for a fifth toe. breeders were crazed with ••full-feathered idea, aud the fowl had to accept it. Consequently, the egg production of the Brahmas received a blow from which it has never recovered. At this early date not a single paper devoted exclusively to the poultry business was published and such a thing as a poultry show was practically unknown. A little later two such shows were held in Boston, one in the Fitchburg Railroad Station, and the other in a large tent on Boston Common While these early shows paved the way for the growth of the poultry industry. they were detrimental in that they created a tendency to sacrifice other good points lor general outside appearance. In viewing the poultry industry of today one cannot help but notice the development and importance of the literature upon this subject. Today. more practical publications are devoted to this field than to all other live stock interests combined, and there are enough books upon this subject alone to form a respectable library. These papers are full of practical science and have enabled m my person to double tli« ir incomes. Alter the Civil War there was increased interest in thoroughbred fowls, and shows came to be regularly held During the past winter between three and four hundred shows for poultry alone, in some of which from three or four thousand of the finest birds in world were displayed, claimed the interest of the raizers. These not only aid in the perfection of the fowl in all parts but also are a great advertising medium. The attendance of the public by the thousaiidsattcsts the popular interest in these great poultry exhibitions, while the intelligent discussion both of the good points of the prize winners and of the special merits of the different varieties gives evidence of the rapid growth of poultry culture in popular favor. One thing which has interested the people more than anything else is the fact that poultry-men are breeding not only for fancy points but also for utility. The small varitics, which arc usually considered the most prolific fowls, have had their production of meat greatly increased by careful selection in mating. Meanwhile the production of eggs of the larger breeds lias been increased in the same manner. Although scientific theories have failed so far to aid the hen in laying cither a double egg or two eggs per day. scientific feeding has enabled her to do a great deal of her laying during the winter while eggs are commanding the highest prices. New ftiiglaud is considered the hotbed of the poultry industry. Although the New ftnglandcr always liked gardening, he neither liked the idea of being a strict ••vegetarian nor was he able to raise cattle aud hogs as his western cousiu did. because he had to confine himself to intensive rather than to extensive farming. Then he tried chickens. They needed only a small range. Large cities and. consequently, good markets were near. The result was that the New ftng-land man doubled bis money in a short time, and the poultry industry was firmly established in that part of the United States. One great aid to New ftugland a well as to the whole country lias been the establishment of poultry departments in connection with the gov- Pago Twenty-Throe