The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-03-29
THE KINETCSCOPE.
Recent Uses Of the Invention in
the Study of Disease.
EdIson's Part In tho Perfection Of the Won
derful Machinc--What May he Ac-
compiished By His Other
Inventions.

The invention of the kinetoscope,
which IS at present attracting large
amount of popular interest, resembles
some of Mr.. Edison's inventions in being
really an improvement on or an adapta-
tion Of discoveries of other men. This
in no way implies that the fame of the
American inventor is undeserved. On
the contrary, it is due to his genius
that mere experiments of scientists
have been converted into things of real
and lasting benefit to civilization. Sir
Humphrey Davy discovered that car
bon could be rendered incandescent in
current OF electricity, and that oxygen
consumed the carbon; but it remained
for Edison to exclude oxygen and to
give the electric light to civilization.
The main essentials of the phonograph
were in use before Edison conceived
the idea of making practical use Of
the machine. The Muybridge photo
graphs were the forerunners Of the
kinetoscope.
II has been proclaimed, says the Bos-
ton Advertiser, that the time is now at
hand when books and thcaters win be-
come rarities, and the average citizen
win be content to use the phonograph
and the kinetoscope for his pleasure.
Such prediction is over-sanguine, as
yet, for the reason that these inven-
tions are not yet perfect. The beauty
of concerted music or Of rare singing is
still marred by the electric whir and
the false sounds that issue from the
monographs diaphragm. The SPLEEN
did color and dazzling luster of the
operas stage are yet beyond the grasp
OF the kaleidoscope. Perhaps these
things may come some day, but they
have not come yet, and in the meantime
the present generation is concerned
chiefly with the things of to-day. The
telephone, for instance, is OF more i'm
mediate use to civilization than are
the phonograph and kinetoscope COM
bined.
Science has already found certain
uses for Mr.. Edison's later inventions.
however. The phonograph counter
feits permanently many sounds that
are useful to therapeutics; the normal
and unsound heartbeats, '.rales" in the
lungs, certain vocal sounds depending
upon special conditions of the throat
and tonsils. 1t is of decided benefit to
science to have permanent records that
can always be Of easy access without
recourse to special patient. In the
same way the kaleidoscope promises to
be of great utility to medical science by
reproducing physical action that can
be studied in detail or comprehensiyelv
as the student desires. In this citv
some effort in that direction has already
been undertaken, and more will be de-
veloped from time TO time, especially in
nervous disorders that bring on certain
physical action that is often SO violent
and vigorous as to battle any attempt at
close study by means OF the unaidea
eye.
The Muybridge photographs showed
some years ago that the eye was unre-
liable for the detection of the absolute
details of rapid animal motion. In
Simultaneous photography alone gives
correct representation of the different
attitudes taken by men or animals in
rapid action, and it is quite possible
that medical science may achieve fresh
discoveries by the help of the sineto-
scope. Thus, in studying the muscularl
action that results from certain nerve
disorders, it may be possible to ira. %
the nerves which are affected. Even In
less complicated eases, like lameness, a
surgeon may be able to reach conclus-
ionc with great quiclsness and certainty
by securing the details OF musealer
action Of the affected limb, as the speed
OF the lSinetoscope may be regulated "a
will. Altogether, then, while the repro
duction OF grand opera for the multi
tude may be u matter of the remote
future, the kaleidoscope is something of
more use to civilization than mere
pictorial toy.