The herald., 1896-02-09
Under Investigation in Edison's
Laboratory
EXPERIMENTS ON MONDAY
Will Include Attempts TO Photograph
the Human Brain
''The Rocntgen Ray q Wave In Ethef.w
rore Than That Not Even the
Wizard Can Say
Associated Press spccial Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
LEwELLING, N. j., Feb S.-The labora-
tories of Thomas A. Edison have been be-
sieged during the past Few days by people
who are anxious to know what progress the
great experimenter hasmade in the use Of
the Crookes tube and its application to
photography. 1t was expected that Mr..
Edison would try to photograph the human
brain today, and as a consequence a num-
ber of newspaper men and artists were on
hand to get the results Of the experiment.
The inventor had hoped to have some new
tubes in readiness for the work of the
morning, but notwithstanding the fact that
he and his efficient helpers worked all
night, they were unable to complete their
labors. Mr.. Edison confidently expects to
have all preparations made by Monday,
however.
Mr.. Edison said today that he was not
spending any time photographivig his hand
and keys, but was devoting his entire at
tention to developing the practical side OF
Professor Roentgen's recent d ,scovery.
"Already" said he, 81 have been able to
establish the fact that the diff erent mater
ials offer different degrees of resistance to
the passage of the new light. For instance,
glass proves TO be IL relatively poor con-
ductor of the rays. while d ard black rub
light. Lead is also good conductor"
The principal difficulty which the in
ventor encountered in his experiments was
the fact that sharp shadow of the
material under test could not be secured
unless it was directly umIer the tube. The
distinctness is due to the smallness of the
tubes which have been rIsed in the exreri-
ments. and it is this same trouble which
caused the delay in photographing the
human brain and bones of the head. The
tubes which are now being constructed are
much larger than those used heretofore,
and by the combined use of several of
these the inventor hopes to make a satis-
factory shadow of the head, the bones and
the BRAIN
In answer to a question as to the defini-
ton Of the new light, Mr.. Edison said:
1.-The fSoeDtgen ray is q wave III ether.
More than this cannot say at the present
time. I consider it a very great discovery
and have confirmed all the experiments
OF him who first gave the discovery to the
world. These experiments with the fluor-
escent light are all very simple and beauti-
full, and am only trying to increase the
power ano perfection of the record"
/ The reporter who visited MIR. Edison to-
day was shown a tube in active operation.
The power of the light as a luminant is
very small indeed, and it is this fact which
surprises the novice. His wonder is in-
creased, however. when he is told that it is
not at all improbable that under favorable
conditions the light might be absolutely in
visible to the eye. The tluorescence is
caused largely, if not entirely, by
the glass, which is used in the con-
struction of the tubes. The new tubes
which are being made at the laboratory
are about eight inches long and two inches
in diameter. The first intention of Mr..
Edison was to construct tubes of celluloid,
bun he now states that he can obtain glass
of sufficient thinness to make it unneces-
sary 10 construct the celluloid tubes, No
experiment has ever been made at the
laboratory which has caused so much in
terest as the present one. Every employe
of the establishment shares the enthusiasm
of the chief and all are anxiously awaiting
the developments of Monday.