The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-06
THE HALF NOT KNOWN.
Remarkable Outcome of Prof. Rout-
gems Discovery.
SURGEONS ALREADY USING THE NEW
Photography to Locate Bullets in HUI
man BOdies-A Man Scared by a
Photograph of His Own Skull.

Photography to Locate Bullets in HUI
man BOdies-A Man Scared by a
Photograph of His Own Skull.
Never in the history of science has
great discovery received such prompt rec
ogn1tion and been SO quickly utilized in q
practical way as the new photography
which Professor Routgen gave to the world
only three weeks ago. Already it has been
used successfully by European surgeons in
locating bullets and other foreign sub
stances in human hands, arms and legs
and in diagnosing diseases of the bones in
various parts of the body. 1t is almost an
old story now in its first features, and
these seemingly miraculous photographs
are easily produced in many physical lab
oratories, while technical journals are
publishing reproductions in their pages
The fact that only faint idea has yet been
gained of the practical possibilities of this
discovery is already proved, and it is diff
cult to keep pace with the astonishing sup
Elementary disclosures
The most important of these is the ap-
plication of the new omniscient agent to
meta1lurgy. 1t has been found that al
though most metals are apparently opaque
to the rays of this strange light or force,
yet any internal defects or lack of homo
geneity in them is quickly detected and
recorded on the telltale plate. The sensi-
tlveness and accuracy of the negatives in
this respect are described as marvellous
No two metals are alike under this new
test. Lead proves to be almost as trans
parent as aluminium and wood. Hitherto
it has not been possible, without compIi-
Gated process, to test the uniformity OF
structure of metal work-for instance gun
barrels, iron rails, railroad wheels-or to
distinguish at sight the different varieties
of iron and steel. All this, it is antici-
pated will be shortly achievable by the
hxlr, &I,a
exaggeration to say that this would mean
the complete revolution of many branches
of metallic industry, especially in the
manufacture of arms.
Exact reproductions have been obtained
of inscriptions or relief drawings on signet
rings and metallic surfaces. To the great
establishment of the experimenters, it was
found that metallic objects exposed to
Rou1gen's rays show in the Photographic
reproduction all inequalities that exist in
the structure of metals, such as fractures
and cavities. This quality theorists recog-
nize as being due to the great sensitive
ness of the rays to variations in the thick
ness. All alloys or composite metals-and
most of those used in the manufacture of
arms are composite-show on the photo
graphic plate whether they are completely
homogeneous throughout and where and to
what extent one metaI-for instance, zinc
or copper in the so called steel bronze can
non-has not thoroughly amalgamated
with another. Owing to the intensity of
the Photographic picture obtained by the
new rays carbon is readily distinguished
from iron, and hence it will be possible to
recognize the quality of iron or steel. The
rays will also probably furnish a simple
method of control in the besseTner process.
The inference from the latest expert
ments is that nothing is absolutely i'm
pene5rable to these strange rays. There
arr only VARYING f1aOPpaG of
or opacity. Professor Routgen took
photograph the other day of a large metal
plate which had been broken in various
pieces and welded together and SO care
fully Joined that the lines of fracture were
imperceptible under the strongest ordinary
light. The so called X rays made them as
plain as day on the photograph
Professor Czernark of Gratz has sue
ceeded in photographing a living skull
without its fieshly integunent. The editor
of The CRATER 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 any one ex-
cept to men of science. 1t is reported that
he has not slept wink since he saw his
own DEATHS head. have already men
toned the important fact that these strange
new rays are incapable of being detected
by lenses or any substance Professor
Routgen deduces from this that perhaps
all bodies and in some all per7ading medi-
UNI with which the molecules of all bodies
must be surrounded. No effect could be
observed on these rays by magnetic infiu-
ence. From which fact Professor Routgen
argues that they differ from cathode rays,
Investigated by Professor Lenard.
To the question what are these K rays if
they are not Cathode rays Professor Rout-
gen brings forward the hypothesis that
possibly their existence may be ascribed
to longitudinal waves in the ether. The
existence of such longitudinal waves, as
apart from tho transverse vibrations which
account for the phenomena of light, has
before now, from theoretical considera-
tions, been suspected by physicists, al
though there has been no experimental
evidence yet brought forward to show
their existence. If this should, on fuller
investigation, really turn out to be the
case, and the x rays of Professor Routgen
are really due to such longitudinal vibra-
tions a great step forward will have been
made in the theoretical conception of wave
motion.
There are already several claims that
Professor Routgen's discovery had been
anticipated. The photography of the in-
visible has been accomplished before, but
not, Professor Routgen protests, by his
method. The most remarkable instance
was an experiment by Professor Zeugen in
1885. He focused Mont Blanc in an ordi-
nary camera toward evening from the
window of a hotel at Geneva. He waited
until he could not discern vestige of the
mountain through an opera glass, then
opened the apparatus and left the plate
exposed until midnight, when he found he
had obtained an excellent picture. He ex-
plains the process thus:
1t is clear that in an electric discharge
from mountain tops toward the heavens