The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-11
CAMERA AND Y RAYS.
Photograph, Instead of shadow
graph, Obtained with Them.

&Faphs OttH1ned Win Ehem-
From the Philadelphia Times.
Within the past few days a discovery
has been made in Philadelphia regard
ing the now famous x-rays which rivals
the discovery made by ROentgen and
which startled the world when announced
Jan Z DR.. T. S. Middleton. Of the Medico-
Chirurgical hospital. has been experiment
ing since Roentgen made his announce
ment, and at an early hour Wednesday
morning he succeeded in making photo
graph by means Of the cathode ray, the
first one ever made.
The prints previously made by means
of the newly discovered light are shadow
graphs, not photographs In the making
OF them no camera and no lens was used.
In many instances they were made by
pocket book or what object was to be sub
Jected 10 the test, directly on top OF
plate holder containing the sensitized
plate. Then the CrOOkes tube, in which
the light was generated was placed above
the object on the plate holder and after
an hour OF so the plate was developed as
any photographer develops a plate after
II has been exposed and the shadow
graph of the hand, with the bones show
ing, or the oocketbOok with the coins IN
side was the result
1t has been repeatedly said that glass
lenses would not defect the x-rays. 1t
was claimed that they went straight
through lenses and prisms made OF glass
ana II was suggested that perhaps some
material or substance would be found
which would refract cathode rays as
lenses defect and concentrate sunlight.
IL was said that this substance need not
be transparent, as the x-rays pass
through solid and Opaque bodies IL was
seen that as soon as such substance was
found better results could be obtained, as
the feeble rays of light would then be
concentrated and the lights and shadows
more sharply defined.
Approaching the enormous value of US
ing the cathode light for photography,
DIR. Middleton has used camera IN all
his experiments, and has worked steadily
along the line that lens would defect
the X-rays If they were strong enough.
In his experiments he tried the use or
stronger electric currents than had ever
been used before. Ordinarily the shadow
graphs were made by the use of from four
to six cells. d. Middleton began with
fifty cells, and increased the number until
he finally used the ordinary 10 volt in
condescent electric light current. This
made a current about 100 times as strong
as was used by other Investigators. To
further increase the luminosity DR.. Mid
dleton used eight tubes instead OF one.
Consequently he was able to secure nearly
1000 times as much luminosity as any
other experimenter has had.
In his successful experiment, made
Wednesday morning, the subject was the
femur of man, the bone having been
broken just above the knee and knitted
together again with ridge which showed
posture of twenty minutes the plate was
developed, and an excellent picture of the
broken bro bone was the result. DR.; Middle,
ton says that the X-rays he developed
were strong enough to have secured a
shadowgraph in fifteen seconds. The light
ordinarily used is so weak that it requires
from forty minutes to an hour and half
to make a shadoWgraDh.
In the photograph which DIR. Middleton
made the light penetrated not only the
flesh, but the bone as well. The marrow
of the bone was shown and so was Sc
rum between the bone and the periosteum
and the veins could also be traced. The
photograph was made somewhat smaller
than the original The limb was placed
rev inches in front of the lens of an
ordinary, camera and the. eight lights We're
arranged so that the force of the ca
thode rays would strike the spot to be
lighted while passing toward the lens.
The bone had been broken two years ago
and the ridge can be felt with the fingers.
DR.. Middleton's discovery has attracted
wide attention All of the scientists in
town have investigated the matter and
he has received kilograms and cablegrams
from various places in America and Eu-
rope in relation to the apparatus he used
He says that he has not found is neces-
sary 10 make a vacuum in the tubes he
uses. on the contrary, he merely ex-
hausts part OF the air by the use of a
t pow pipe. he ne Ras also discovered that
cules of air which were left inside out
and through the glass. After continuous
use for some time the tubes become per-
feet vacuums and are then worthless un-
til punctured and filled with air again
This shows that the cathode rays force
glass.
DR.. Middleton is perfecting his appar-
atus. He has now in course of construc-
ton a small tube which is to combine
eight lights in one. 1t will be small and
instead of having but one negative wire
Will have eight, the ends of which all
point toward common center which will
thus be the focus for all the rays With
this apparatus he hopes to be able to
light the interior of the head through the
mouth so that a picture can be taken of
the ear from the exterior. This experiment
Will be made this week, and so will one
in which the object will be to photo
graph the brain through the intervening
scalp and skull