The San Francisco call., 1896-03-09
You Can Eat Candy Now and
Cure Your Toothache With
the Roentgen.
GREAT NEWS FOR THE GIRLS.
DR.. w. S. Thorne, Lately From
Europe, Talks of Wonderful
Discovery of Science.

DR.. w. S. Thorne, the well known ply
sician and surgeon, of this City, arrived
home few days ago, after an extended
tour OF Europe. He went for the purpose
of study, and visited the principal medical
schools in the large cities. DR.. Thorne
saw and heard many new things while
away, and thinks that his profession is
making more rapid strides now than ever
before. Just at present the whole OF
Europe is making experiments with the
cathode ray. and there is no telling what
the wonderful discovery may lead to.
When DR.. Thorne was spoken to yester-
day afternoon regarding the news tele-
graphed to this country that a cure for
toothache had been discovered in the
Roentgen rays by DR.. Levett, an American
dentist in Paris, he became deeply inter-
ested.
81 cam say that place implicit conf
idea is not at all improbable. In fact, it
seems highly probable and exactly in line
with a theory of the famous DR.. Koch,
whom saw in Berlin a few weeks ago.
DR.. Koch explained to me that he had
demonstrated beyond doubt that all known
forms of bacteria would die after few
moments exposure to strong daylight.
could be made to produce the same effect
and contem plated extensive experiments
in that direction.
"You see," DR.. Thorne continued, 'the
Roentgen ray is not, strictly speaking, a
ray OF light. 1t is, rather, volume OF
Actinic electric fluid. That is, it has the
quality of sunlight in its action on silver
emulsion and also the quality of electricity
for passing through many substances ex-
cept glass, rubber and other non-conduct-
ors. While the Roentgen rays will pass
through an iron plate they won't pass
through pane of glass;"
"But how can the Roentgen ray cure
pain?" was asked.
tThat is impossible to state" answered
know what pain is. Microscopical exam
ination shows no difference between
the nerves of healthy tooth and those OF
tooth that is driving its owner to spasms
and profanity. The way it seems possible
to ms to cure the pain by the Roentgen
ray would be by DR.. Koch's theory that
the pain was caused by bacillus that ex-
posed the ends of the nerves to the action
of the air. By killing the bacillus the
wounded nerves would heal over and the
patient cease 10 suffer.
while 1 was on my way home," DR..
Thorne continued, II stopped to see
Thomas Edison. / found him in the
IQlQSC Oh Will tuS IsOcHtScH
ray. He was deeply interested, but did
not have much to say for the future. He
seemed to think he did not know what he
was working with, but said he could not
forsee any end to the application OF the
raw"
DR.. Luke Robinson. when asked about
the Roentgen ray and toothache, said he
was not able to form much of conclusion.
From what he knew of the ray, he did not
doubt but that it had greater possibilities
in pathological direction than had yet
been thought of. "But don't know who
Dr. Levett is" he said, 'and until l do,
cannot give an opinion"
Il. C. Massie, the well-known dentist,
had not given much attention to the
Roentgen ray, but knew that an applica-
ton OF the electrode of the negative pole
of battery had been used to stop pain in
tooth so that it could be filled. The
Roentgen ray. he said. was, of course, diff
ferent, but the two electrical actions were