The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-04-03
WORLD OF SCIENCE.
THE ROENTGEN RAYS.
Lucid Statement Of All That Is KNOWN
About Them-What Medicine ana Sur
gerry are Achieving by Their Use
What Is Expected Of Them,

About Them-Whnt Medicine ana sur
gerry are Achieving by Their Use
What Is Expected of Them.
The Roentgen rays are certain invisi'
BILE rays resembling, in many respects,
rays of light, which are set free when
high pressure electric current is dis
charged through vacuum tube. A
vacuum tube is glass tube from
which all the air, down to one mil
lonth of an atmosphere, has been ex-
hausted after the insertion of d plati-
nun wire in either end of the tube for
connection with the two poles OF bat
terry or induction coil. When the dis
charge is sent through the tube, there
proceeds from the anode-that is the
wire which is connected with the posi-
tive pole of the battery bands
of light, varying in color with the col
or of the glass. But these are insight
ficant in comparison with the brilliant
glow which shoots from the cathode,
or negative wire. This glow excites
brilliant phosphorescence in glass and
many substances, and these "cathode
rays" as they are called, were observed
and studied by Hertz; and more deep
Ienard having. in 1894. reported that
the cathode rays would penetrate thin
films of, aluminium. wood. and other
substances. and produce Photographic
results beyond IT was left. however,
for Professor Roentpen TO discover that
! during the discharge another kind of
RAYS are set free. which differ greatly
| from those described bv Lenard as
cathode RAYS. The most marked diff
ference between the two is the fact that
Rontpen ravs are not DETECTED bv
magnet. Indicating a very essential
differences while their range and pene-
trative mower are incomparably great
err
Exactly what kind of force Profes-
sor Roentpen has discovered he does
NOT know As will he seen below. he de- !
clines to call If a new kind of light. or
a new form of electricity. He has CIV.
en- If the name of the X rays. Others
sneak of if as the Roentgen rays. Thus
IA, its results only. and not its essence
are known In the terminolopy of
science it is generally called "a new
moda of motion ), or. in other words. a
new force As Ia whether II is or NOT
actually a force new To science. or one
of the known forces masouerading nm.
der strange, conditions weiphty an.
thor;ties are already arouing More
than one eminent scientist has already
affec,ed IN soc in it a ,ey tn the great
mystery of tho Law of gravity Aliwbo /.
have svnraseed tbemseIves in nrint
have admitted With more or loss
frarkpess tbat in view of Roentoen's
jisrnvary sn;ence must forthwitb ra. :
wise nossihIv Ia a rnvolutionar, depree |
the Iopg arcentad theories concernino
the nhenomena If lioht and sound {
That tho rays in tbe;r mode If ar. [
ION cnn,b;no a straoe resemblance IN /
,nth sound md EuhT v;brations md @
no destinad to nateriaIIv atrect IL {
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