"It's not a new kind of anything. The Green Flame is a radio-active
rock once found on Mercury. The _Alpha_ rays of this rock are similar
to radium in that they consist of streams of material particles
projected at high speed. But the character of the _Gamma_ rays has
never been completely analyzed. Like those set up by radium, they are
electromagnetic pulsations, but they are also a strange combination of
_Beta_ or cathode rays with negatively charged electrons.
"When any form of life is exposed to these _Gamma_ rays from the Green
Flame rock, they produce in the creature's brain a certain lassitude
and lack of energy. As the period of exposure increases, this condition
develops into a sense of impotence and a desire for leadership or
guidance. Occasionally, as with the weak-willed, there is a spirit of
intolerance. The Green Flames might be said to be an inorganic opiate,
a thousand times more subtle and more powerful than any known drug."