The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-28

The Newest Development Of DIR. Hoent-
gems Process

BOSTON. Feb. 2G.-Dr. II. J.. Smith,
one Of the most prominent physicians IN
the Back Bay district. in this city, has
brought about the most remarkable de-
velopment Of the Roentgen idea yet re-
corded. Photographs. or. rather, outline
drawings. have been transmitted by tele-
graph. but there Is no record of photo
graphing by telephone without a camera.
The Doctor merely placed his plate-hOld-
er at the telephone transmitter, which
had been so arranged AZ 10 make the
hell-riugiug apparatus work continuously,
and left IL there about half an hour.
on taking out the plate II was found,
after being developed. to contain distinct
outlines of the small objects on the
holder.
Or. Smith has also demonstrated con-
clusiyely that the shadowgraphic effects
on phOtOgr aphic plates may be obtained
wholly Without the use OF vacuum tubes.
lie IS connected with the city hospital.
and has been experimenting for the past
few days with the new Roentgen photo
graphy az his home. tie has shown hy
"a score of experiments that the shadow
photographs may Dee produced with the
electrical action generated 10y an orcl-
nary are or ircandcscent light. by
Faradic battery, or by the current used
to ring the bell i'm the telephone trans
mitter. one striking popularity of the
shadOwgraphs obtained ly this expert
menter is that they disappear III the de-
veloped plate is exposed too long 90 the
fixing solution They have. however,
been quite distinct enough TO establish
The fact that tho mysterious y ray Is
not peculiar 10 the cathode. and that
a vacuum is not necessary 10 their pro-
duction.
This afternoon the Doctor explained his
method OF procedure. which is so simple
and cheap as 10 make 10 available for
every one lie put a plate into his hold
err and on the outside fastened some
coins and other small objects The lat
ter We're held I'm position by strips OF
wood. and the whole was placed in a
wooden box, the cover OF which was
then lightly shut. There was thus a
layer of wood nearly three-quarters Of an
inch in thickness between the coins and
the light Then the box was placed
against the wall of Or. Ilale's church.
az the corner Of Newbury and Exeter
streets. and allowed 10 remain there
from IL o'clock at night until the next
morning exposed 10 the rays OF the arc
light diagonally across the corner. on
opening the holder and developing the
plate he found on il distinct outlines or
the objects on the outside OF the holder.
They We're 10 bee sure. somewhat faint,
but enough of the outlines remained. even
after several days. 10 show that the
blate had been affected.
Subsequent experiments were made with
an mean lescent light. placed about six
inches from the plate-hOlder and the
results We're equally satisfactory. Then
the holder. with various mall objects on
the outside was placed near a Parable
battery. and distinct shadowgraphs Of
the objects obtained. TO the unscientihc
mind, however. the most interesting cX-
pertinent of all was performed by the
use Of the telephone, as already mar
rated
By the use Of the incandescent light,
the Doctor has secured excellent shadow
graphs of the human hand. and also OF
the arm as far up as the elbow. Expert
mentors elsewhere have thus far been
able 10 photograph the hand only but
the Doctors plates showed clearly the
outlines of the bones in the forearm. as
well as the articulation of the joints at
the wrist These results were obtained
by an exposure of twenty minutes. Phil
adelpha Press.