New-York tribune., 1896-02-02

WORK AT YALE
rhe startling story which came to this country
from Germany three or four weeks ago. about
the possibility of photographing the interior Of
a human body without showing the exterior. by
means Of q newly discovered radiance. was gen.
orally received at first with much incredulity.
People recalled the wish of an eminent essayist.
inspired by sultry summer weather that he
could take off his flesh and sit in his bones. but
dscredited the idea that the new light would
depict a living person in that airy costume. 1t
was jOkingly suggested that II this instrument
Of research had been available IN time 1t might
have shown whether the poor little bird in 1.-The
.ikado" which died singing "Tft-wow." really
died from 8 broken heart. succumbed TO more
rrosaic disorder. But from the first, a few
electrical experts and medical men treated the
matter seriously. and they have awaited further
developments with great eagerness. And now
not only people of scientific tastes and training.
but nearly all wde-awake. intelligent men and
women are discussing the facts thus far
corded. the theories involved. and the possible
applications Of Professor R0ntgen's discovery.
This is particularly true In NewYork City and
It's vicinity. and during the last week the achieve
ments of the Wurzburg investigator and Of
those who have repeated his experiments have
been the subjec; of much enthusiastic discussion.
In number of American laboratories prepara-
tons have been made for attempting to photo
graph with what the scientists call the cathode
rays. At Columbia College DR.. NJ l. Pupin has
been endeavoring 10 put his apparatus in shape
10 investigate the matter over at Stevens In
stttute. in HoboSen. the subject is under consid-
Grafton. and VIII soon receive attention from
Professor Mayer Brooklyn also. is likely to be
heard from in time.
THE DIFFERENT DENs1TIEs OF METALS.
At Yale Professor A. W. Wright filling the
chair Of experimental physics. secured some
rather satisfactory results last week. In one OF
his tests he placed small spheres Of platinum.
brass and aluminium IN a paper box packing the
metal in cotton. He aimed his Crookes tube end
wise at the box and placed behind the latter
Photographic plate covered with black paper and
G wooden board half an inch thick. The paper.
pasteboard, cotton and wood were almost trans
parent 10 the RSntgen rays and cast only
faint shadow on the plate. But the metals were
more distinctly outlined. the platinum most
strongly the brass next and the aluminium very
slightly IN fact the aforementioned metal has
been generally found 70 be the NOS; transparent
of all the metals thus far experimental with.
Nevertheless If a medal Of that material be
photographed in the manner described, the
thicker portions-that Is 10 say. the hgures and
lettering that in relief-will affect the plate
more than the thinner parts. In another test
with coins in a leather pocketbook the Yale ex-
pert found that silver was more opaque than
nickel. and nickel more so than copper; but the
positions and size of all the pieces were well
defined through the purse. Hence leather Is
found to be almost as transparent as paper or
wood. on the other hand. clear glass. which
permits the passage Of ordinary light freely.
obstructs the cathode ray enough 10 cast faint
shadow. 1t IS apparently more Opaque than
wood or the ebonte slides used to cover a sensi-
tive plate in photographers plate-holder. Pro
fessor Trowbridge. Of the jefferson Physical Lab
oratory Harvard institution. has had a
share in developing this latter fact.
EXPLORING THE HUMAN BODY
Experiments with human subjects. however.
rossess the most fascination for the popular
mind II not for the scientists. One German ex-
pert is said to have photographed his own skull.
taking a profile view The bone obstructed the
massage OF the light to outline the form
Of the whole Uranium fairly well. but the heshy
coverings were so imperfectly outlined az TO be
practically invisible. There is no evidence. up
~ date though. that the athode ray will tell
r,bat Is going on inside Of mans knowledge
hoy and II may be that we shall still be able
IN been some secrets 10 ourselves even II our
nurses and bodies are not proof against the new
inQuisitor.
There seems TO be some differences In the testi-
mony as TO the opaqueness Of bony matter
R0ntgen is said to have secured pictures In
vhich the bones Of the hand cast much darker
shadow on the plate than the flesh. But Pro-
fessor Wright is reported as hrding much
less striking contrast The Wurzburgers case
is strengthened. though, by the statement that
o vtanna surgeon has obtained information OF
a rnalforrned ankle joint. besides being aple 10
locate a bullet in a wound. Campbell Swinton.
a London expert, who has been particularly
successful I'm his experiments. finds that me
finger nails are transparent MI Swlh'oh' II
IS said secured imprints OF the Dones OF .he
hand so clear as 10 show the artlcuIatloh OF tiie
toints This revelation. taken with the aileged
detection Of calcareOus deposits In tne ihteIioi
of a mans body. suggests the posslDHi'y Vi sIs
ting information not otherwise opldH"D'e ~
tive 20 gout and rheumatism
How far the various organs in the body can