The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-30
THE HALF NOT KNOWN.
REMARKABLE OUTCOME or PROFESS
OR RoUTcEN's DISCOVERY.
Surgeons Already Using he New Photog-
rsphy To Locate Bniiets In Human Bod
ies-A Man Scared by = Photograph Of
His Own skull.

raphy To Locate Bullets In Human Bod
ies-A Man Scared by . Photograph of
His own skull
Never In the history of science has q
great discovery received such prompt rec
ognition and been SO quickly utilized In a
practical way as the new photography
which Professor Routgon gave to the world
only three weeks ago. Already II has been
used successfully by European surgeons In
locating bullets and other foreign sub
stances In human hands, arms and legs
n In diagnosing diseases of the bones In
various parts OF the body. IL is almost M
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 a faint idea has yet been
gained Of the practical possibilities of this
discovery is already proved, and 1t Is diff
cul to keep pace with the astonishing sup
Elementary disclosures.
The most important of these Is the up
plication of the new omniscient agent TO
metallurgy. 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
Renoity In them Is quickly detected and
recorded on tho telltale plato. The sensi
tiyencss and accuracy OF the negatives In
this respect are described as marvellous.
No two metals arc alike under this new
test. Lead proves to be- almost as trans
parent as aluminium and wood. Hitherto
IL has not been possible, without n compli-
Gated process, to test tho uniformity OF
structure Of metal work--for instance, gun
barrels, iron rails, railroad wheels-or 10
distinguish at sight the different varieties
of iron and steel. All this, IL Is antici-
pated, will DO shortly achicvable by the
help OF the new photography. Ii Is no
exaggcration 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 siqnet
rings and metallic surfaces. To the great
astonlshmont OF the experimenters, it was
found that metallic objects exposed to
Routgon'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 tho great sensitive
ness of the rays to variations in the thick
ness. All alloys or composite mctals-and
most of those used in tho manufacture of
arms are composite-show on the photo
graphic plate whether they are completely
homogeneous throughout and where and to
what extent one motal-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
-. 49,. .-l ..N-. 4. .,tn =. a-.fI e.
recognize the quality of iron or steel. The
rays will also probably furnish a simple
method Of control In the bossemer process.
TAe inference from the latest expert
ments Is that nothing is absolutely i'm
penetrable 10 these Strange rays. There
are only varying degrees of transparency
or opacity. Professor Routgon took a
photograph the othor 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 Czermark of Gratz has sue
ceeded in photographing a living skull
without its heshly integument. The editor
of The Crater Tagoblatt offered his head
for the purpose. When he saw the result,
he positively refused to allow the picture
to DO reproduced or shown to eny ono OK.
cept to men of science. 1t is reported that
he has not slept a wink since he saw his
own deaths head. l nave already men
toned the important fact that these strange
new rays are incapable of being detected
by lenses or any substance. Professor
Routgon educe from this hat perhaps
the rays move with the same velocity In
all bodies and in some all pcryading medi-
um with which tho molecules of all bodies
must be surrounded. No effect could DO
observed on these rays by magnetic influ-
ence. From which fact Professor Routgen
argues that they differ from cathode rays,
investigated by Professor Lenard.
To the question what are these Y rays II
they are not Cathode rays Professor Rout-
gen brings forward the hypothesis that
possibly their existence may be ascrlbed
To longitudinal waves In the ether. TIL
existence of such longitudinal waves, as
apart from the transverse vibrations which
account for tho phenomena of light, has
before now, from theoretical considera-
tions, bean suspected by physicists, al
though thUru has been no experimental
evidence yet brought forward to show
their existence. II this should, on fuller
investigation, really turn out to mo tho
ClSC.-Auu lDo ~ rays VI lTUlrAAuf hOAIAHn
are really due TO such longitudinal yibra-
tions, u great step forward will have been
made In the theoretical conception of wave
motion.
There are already several claims that
Professor R%outgon's discovery had been
anticipated. The photography of the in
visible has been accomplished before, but
not, Professor Rortgen protests, by his
method. The most remarkable instance
was an experiment by Professor Zeugon in
1885. Ho focused Mont Blanc In an ordi-
nary camera toward evening from the
window of n hotel at Geneva. He waited
untllIle could not discern n vestigo of the
mountain through an opera glass, then
opened the apparatus and left the plate
exposed until midnight, whom he found he
had obtained an excellent picture. He OK
plains the process thus
It is clear that In an electric discharge
from mountain tops toward the heavens
above them the m-ogntainsvare negative