Madame Marie Curie

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Radium Continued

In 1910 Marie isolated pure radium metal

Her major studies showed that radium gave out light and heat, as well as being able to damage living flesh

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Radium cont.

In order to obtain one decigram of pure radium chloride salt, Marie had to sift through hundreds of tons of pitchblende

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Properties of Radium

Radium is silver-white in color

Today it is used in small amounts as a cancer treatment and in fluorescent paint

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Pierre’s Death

Pierre Curie was killed tragically by a horse-drawn cart in 1906

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Teaching

It was decided that Marie should take over Pierre’s teaching job at the Sorbonne in 1906

This made Marie the 1st woman professor at any French university

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Paris Radium Institute

In 1907 Marie convinced the French government to fund a radium research institute, to be used mainly for medical research

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Health Problems

Marie believed that working with radium was not a danger to her health, however, doctors today have proven that she was very wrong

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Health cont.

In 1911 Marie collapsed from depression and severe kidney problems that were a result of her long-time exposure to radium

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Radium Institute cont.

In August 1914 the Radium Institute was finished, and named after Marie’s deceased husband

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World War II

Shortly after the institute was finished, Germany invaded France

Marie’s staff was cut short to two people, herself and her daughter Irene

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World War II cont.

Immediately after the War broke out Marie donated all of her money to the War fund, and signed up to be a nurse

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X-ray Mobiles

Marie decided that there should be x-ray machines that the war doctors could use on the battle field for soldiers

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