The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-07-09
A New Err.

still hunt through
tho great storchou3o Of nature. re-
sultiug in the discovery OF the sub
stance which most perfectly transmits
the ray. BY the aid Of a screen Gov
cred with the crystals % this material,
the tungStatc OF calcium. the interior
Of the human frame j. lighted mp by the
x rays so completely tNat it can be
seen without the intervention Of an
ocular lens or the us" OF 4 SkiaSrapn.
In the language OF the reporter, Ed
son secs every organ Of tho body as
plainly as he sees The dishes on his
dinner table" \
The hitherto hidden secret Is laid
| bare as result Of his workings. Given
the production Of the X rays in SUtl-
! cient number and intensity. with the
most appropriate medium for the eX-
hibitiOn o. their power. and these rays
force their way in straight lines be
tween the untold millions OF mOIcC
uiar entities that compose the differ
cnt ferns Of matter. They are not
summarily stopped in their course, as
are the pulsations of the ordinary ray
of light. because they do not strike
sidewise against the molecules that
are vibrating in the ether which per
vades the interior OF all material
masses as well as the regions Of celes-
tial space. They do meet with a mini
fled resistance. the amount OF which
varies with the constitution as we'll
as the thickness OF The substance
through which they pass, and herein
lies the explanation OF the phenome-
non reported.
At three feet from the TOW Of Crookes
tubes used to light up the whole of the
human body at once the rays are so
powerful that they penetrate every
thing and show nothing on the screen
except vague shadow. At four feet
of distance matters become more dis
tinct; the rays are not 80 powerful, and
/ show an outline Of bone, while they
pass freely through the enveloping in
teguments. At five feet the bones are
seen distinctly; they are no longer pen
etrated. AT six feet distance the bones
and internal organs Of the body are
clearly seen. Tic intensity of the force
decreasing with increasing distance.
the intensity can be graduated by
change of position to bring out with
comparative distinctne5s the particu-
lar structure which II is desired to sub
iect to special examination.
The experiments b. ROentgen indi-
Gated something Of this. but they
stopped far short Of the brilliant re-
suits reached by Edison for want of
what may be called appropriate devel-
cping material. The discovery by Edi-
sou, as a consequence - subjecting to
, test a long list Of different substances,
elat the tungstate OF calcium possesses
| eiA llmtS lioi' VI tiiS bDNtl tudn tNe
material previously used. encouraged
,he employment OF battery OF CrOOkes
tubes and the invention of an inclosed
screen on which can be viewed through
narrow slit the relative shadows cast
On the screen by the object to be OK
smined while it is being penetrated
through and through ~ the X rays.
Already it appears to be only ques-
ion of power at the origin OF light,
graduated distance from that source,
md the employment Of an appropriate
eceiyer for the rays. to determine Just
what shall be lighted up and have its
Internal conditions revealed by their
lid. The result Of the investigation,
70 far as it has been conducted, is so
astounding that it challenges belief, for
one sense it is as wonderful as any
hing that has been claimed in the
way Of working miracles. One well
may wait with bated breath for what
ret will be done in this line of effort.
It is not logical to think that the end
: has been reached 50 soon. More prob
IDLY we are yet only on the threshold
: sf the temple of scientific knowledge
d The interior Of which will be lighted up
O human gaze by the \ rays,
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