Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-02-08
CAN peep INSIDE A SKULL
Marvellous Results of the New Pho
tographic Discovery.
A German Editors Brain Photo
graphed-.AH Kinds OF Metals
Can BE Looked through
as Easily as GLASS.

London, Jan. 29.-NeVer I'm the history
of science has a great discovery received
such prompt recognition and been so
quickly utilized In "A practical way az
the new photography which Prof. Ront-
gen gave to the world only three weeks
ago. Already IL has been successfully
used by European surgeons in locating
bullets and other foreign substances In
human hands. arms and legs, and In di-
agnosing diseases of zones in various
parts of the body. II is almost an old
story now, I'm its first features, and
these seemingly miraculous photo.
graphs are easily produced I'm many
physical laboratories, while the tech
meal journals are publishing reproduce
lions In their pages.
The fact that only a faint idea has yet
been gained of the practical possibili-
ties of this discovery is already proven
and II is difficult to keep pace with the
astonishing supplementary disclosures.
The most important of these is the APP
plication of the new agent TO metal
lurgy. 1t has been found that. although
most metals are apparently opaque to
the ray of this strange light or force.
yet any Internal defects or lack of homo
geneity In them are quickly detected
and recorded I'm the ~telltale plate. The
sensitiveness aud accuracy OF the mega
tives In this respect are described as
marvellous. No two metals are alike
under this new test. Lead proves to be
almost as transparent as aluminium
and wood.
JI{thartp a. bau NOT haan nngCihln with
out a complicated process to test the
uniformity of the structure or metal
work, for instance gun barrels, iron
rules and railway wheels. or distinguish
at sight different varieties OF iron and
steel. All this, II Is anticipated, VIII
shortly be achieved by the help OF this
new photography. IL is no exaggeration
TO say that this would mean a complete
revolution of many branches OF metal
lie industry. especially in the manufac-
ture OF arms.
Exact reproductions have been OBJ
tanned of inscriptions or relief drawings
on signet rings and metallic surfaces.
To the great establishment Of the ex-
perimenters, II has been found that me-
tallic objects exposed to Rontgen's rays
show In the Photographic reproduction
all the inequalities that exist in the
structure of the metals, such as frac-
lures and cavities. This quality theo-
rists recognize as being due to the great
constituencies of the rays TO the varia-
tons in thickness. All alloys on COM
posite metals-and most Of those used
in the manufacture az arms are COM
p~osite-show on the Photographic plate
whether they are completely homo
geneous throughout. and where, and to
what extent. One metal, for Instance
zine or copper, In the steel
bronze cannon, has not thoroughly
amalgamated with the other. Owing
10 the intensity of the Photographic pic
lures obtained by the new rays, carbon
Is readily distinguished from iron,
hence il will De possible TO recognize the
quality of the iron or steel hat has been
depicted. They will also probably fur.
nish a simple method of control In the
Bessemer process.
The inference from the latest expert
ments Is that nothing Is absolutely i'm
penetrable TO these strange avs. There
are only varying degrees of transpar'
enc or opacity. Prof. Rontgen took q
photograph the other day of a large me-
tallic plate. which had been broken In
various pieces, welded together, and sc
s &c Joined ssgssnsr st that a the line se.
strongest ordinary light. The so-called
X rays made them as plain as day on the
photograph.
EDITORS SKULL PHOTOGRAPHED.
Prof. Czarmark of Graz. succeeded In
photographing a living skull without its
deshy integument. The editor OF the Graz
ger Tageblatt offered his head for the
purpose. When he saw the result he
positively refused to allow the picture
to be reproduced or shown to anyone ex-
cept men Of science. 1t is reported that
he has not slept a wink since he saw
his own deaths head.
The important fact has been men
toned that these strange new rays are
Incapable of being detected by any sub
stance. Prof. Rontgen deduces from
this that perhaps the rays with the
same velocity In all bodies and In some
all prevailing medium with which the
molecules of all bodies must be sur
rounded. No effect could be observed
on these rays by magnetic influence,
from which FAC Rontgen argues that
they differ from the cathode rays inves.
tigated by Lenard.
THEORY OF WAVE MOTION.
To the question what are these rays. II
they are not cathode rays, Prof. Rontgen
brings forward the hypothesis that pos
sibly their existence may be ascribed to
longitudinal waves In the ether existence
Of such waves, as apart from the trans
verse vibrations. which account for the
phenomena OF light. This has before now,
from theoretical considerations, been sus-
pected by physicists. although there has
been no experimental evidence yet
brought forward to show their existence.
II this should, on fuller investigation,
really turn out to be the case, and that the
X rays of Prof. Rontgen are really due To
forward will rave been made In the thee.
retical grounds Of wave motion.