The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-12

rays. W. can take the most Deautiiui
photographs by a camera inside OF Irac-
lion OF a second. We can sehu eIevt,io
sparks under the ocean in the twlnkling
OF an eve, and defy Old Neptune TO reao
the messages. And we can hear the voices
OF our friends a Thousand miles away.
ssIt wouldn't seem SO wonderful, would
il, II we should happen upon a new
theory of light that would account tor All
the present phenomena, and perhaps re-
veal a way by which we could see some
great distances by electrieityY
al repeat. the important point first To
be established Is whether these wonder
full rays that penetrate every substance
TO a greater or less extent are movements
OF ether or not.
If h are ether. the undulatory theory
Of lighr, as known by physicists at pres
emit, Is Knocked into a cccked hat, and we
must account for the presence OF light on
some ether hypothesis.
NEEDLE FROM HER STOMACH.
BERLIN, Feb. H. The fret Berliner to
benefit by the wonderful discovery OF DR..
Roentgen was = poor young seamstreess,
who had swallowed a needle last week.
Every day OF her existence since has been
one of agony. Her physician nespaired OF
her case, a, the poor woman could not re-
tain the lightest food on her stomach.
Since Saturday morning she grew steadi y
worse.
The physician called en- eminent sur
geon Of the university staff in consulta-
ion, who did not believe that her life
could be saved.
take the patient to the C ertgen laboratory
in the hope thst the X-ray would locate
the needle, and that the same might be
extracted without endangering the young
woman's life. To the great Joy of all in
terested, the experiment at the laboratory
proved a brilliant success.
The plate plainly showed every bone of
the upper part Of the body, end the needle
was found ~ ing point downward in the
lower right angle oil the stomach. SUR
geons being present, 1t was resolved to
remove the needle at once. The patient
was placed unde the influence of chloro-
form, and the needle was taken from
the stomach by skillful surgical manipu-
lations. The ratient Is doing well, and
is pronounced entirely out OF danger.
PRACTICAL EXPERIMENT IN CHICAGO.
CHICAGO, Feb. IL. THE first practic al eK-
rerIment in Chicago with Roentgen's
rays was made yesterday by Electrician
Charles f.. Scribner and DIR. James BURY
in the laboratory OF the Western Electric
ComCany.
Casper Schmidt came TO the Office OF
the Western Electric Company, COMPLAIN
ing of a sore spot in the region of the
VI vi Nv tAAAts a. GaAN ht AAa1 ohSh
shot in the hand two years ago, but was
unable TO locate the affected part.
Accordingly schmidt was conducted to
the ROentgen quarters and after an hours
exposure to the cathode rays, the sersi-
tizeu plate, upon which rested the { iict-
ed men Der was taken TO the photograph
ic room.
When developed the plate disclosed a
most excellent likeness of the anatomy Of
the hand. and also what appeared to be a
buckshot srugly encased tetween the me-
t~acarpal one OF the third and fourth
fingers, about ar inch and a little below
the knuckle. A silver print will be made
from the negative and the buckshot will
then be removed by DIR. BURY, using the
photograph or shadowgraph as a guide.
DIR. BURY and electrician Scribner are
Justly enthusiastic over their success and
predict for the "x'' rays a vast field of
usefulness, especially in the domain of
medicine and surgery. The experiment
will be repeated and new methods C1d
improved apparatus will be used.
In this experiment a lead diaphragm was
used. in which the aperture admitting
the cathode rays was increased from one
half an inch to an inch. In their ~investi-
cations, Messrs. Scribner and BURY found
that the German glass oil which the
Crooke's tube Is composed Is almost Opaque
. to the cathode ray, while aluminium is
translucent. Lead, however, is imper-
vious to these rays. Accordingly, a lead
diaphragm was stretched between the
cathode rays andthe object shadowgraphed
for the purpose of concentrating the rays
and securing more definite outlines on
the sensitized plate.