[33] It is proved that all extremely
radioactive bodies are the seat of incessant transformations, and even
now we cannot state the conditions under which they present themselves
in a strictly determined form.
[Footnote 33: Polonium has now been shown to be no new element, but
one of the transformation products of radium. Radium itself is also
thought to be derived in some manner, not yet ascertained, from
uranium. The same is the case with actinium, which is said to come in
the long run from uranium, but not so directly as does radium. All
this is described in Professor Rutherford's _Radioactive
Transformations_ (London, 1906).--ED.]
Sec. 3. THE RADIATION OF THE RADIOACTIVE BODIES AND THE EMANATION
To acquire exact notions as to the nature of the rays emitted by the
radioactive bodies, it was necessary to try to cause magnetic or
electric forces to act on them so as to see whether they behaved in
the same way as light and the X rays, or whether like the cathode rays
they were deviated by a magnetic field. This work was effected by
Professor Giesel, then by M.
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