| Description | Council decided to entrust to the President, acting with the assistance of an Advisory Committee, the administration of the grant made generously by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, for the investigation of the properties of radium. It was expected that sufficient quantities of radium might be obtained quickly, but this has not been the case. No application of the money has therefore been practicable. However, Sir William Huggins was lucky enough to enlist the help of the Prince of Wales in obtaining from the Austrian government, for £66-10-0, a small supply of 500kg of residues from the Uranium works at Joachimsthal.
Through the introduction of the late Professor Curie, arrangements were made with Armet de Lisle to reduce at cost of £40 the material obtained. It has been delivered to him, and de Lisle has been working on reducing the residue into the various radioactive compounds. |