Curie Re-Generator Jar (ca. 1925-1930)

The Curie RadioActive Re-Generator and Stone Water Filter was produced by the Curie Radium Company at 203 Fifth Street, Canton, Ohio. The company's brochure describes the product as follows: "The Curie RadioActive Re-Generator and Stone Water Filter is a Water Jar in which is placed your local drinking water. In this jar is also placed a Radium Ore Disc—this Disc throws off light Rays thereby forming Niton Gas, making the water RadioActive, the same as the Great Health Springs. Radioactive Water is a proven means to Health as millions can testify."

The jar (photo above right) consists of two separate sections. Water is poured into the top section, and since the latter has a porous bottom, the water drips through to the lower section. The disk (photo above left) is positioned in the bottom section of the jar  It contains the uranium ore that serves as the source of the radon (niton) gas that enters the water. As a rough estimate, the disk contains 0.5-1.0 uCi of each member of the uranium series. 

I am estimating that this jar dates from 1925-1930 since the brochure uses the term "niton." By 1930 or so, people had switched to the term "radon." Furthermore, by 1932 the radium jar business was pretty much dead in the water.

A small ad in the classified section of the September 3, 1930 issue of the Daily Times (New Philadelphia, Ohio) listed a "new" Curie Radium Water jar for sale. This suggests, but doesn't guarantee, that the jar was probably still in production.

Size: Jar ca. 23" high, 10 1/2" diameter at widest point; disk ca. 5 1/2" diameter

Exposure rates: ca. 8 uR/hr above background at one foot from disk