Discovered : 1808 by Sir Humphry Davy Isolated in London, UK Origin : The name comes from the Greek ‘barys’, meaning heavy. Description : A soft silvery metal that rapidly tarnishes in air and reacts with water. ‘Barium meal’ and ‘barium enemas’ (barium sulfate) used to be given to patients suffering from digestive disorders : the action of the stomach and intestines could be seen as the metal’s progress through the body was revealed by X-rays. Most barium sulfate is now used in drilling fluids for oil and gas wells and several million tonnes a year are manufactured. Image : Digestive disorder.