Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-29
THE X-RAY ~ MEDICINE.
Seine Experiments Made Before
Doctors I'm New York.
Nam XnrLr Times
New York Times)

(New York Times)
At the meeting OF the Medical Society
OF the County OF New York. at the AGA
denny OF Medicine, DR.. William j. Nor
ton gave a lecture OF interest on THE
X-Ray. and Some OF Its Relations to
Medicine" There were also demonstra-
tons OF apparatus at work and stereop-
ticon views.
President Edward d. Fisher was In the
chair. and the attendance was so large
that many had to stand.
DIR. Morton, who was assisted by seVe-
raj experts. said that from time I'M
memorial there has been a desire 10 fully
explore the mysteries of the human body,
and told Of the various aids to such
research up to the present time. 1t was
no wonder then, that the X-ray had ex-
cited general interest as no greater aux
Hilary to diagnosis has been given.
After a definition OF the Roentgen rays,
the lecturer remarked that in the search
for full knowledge OF them medical men
might leave the battle royal to the
scientists, and turn their attention to the
practical application Of the discovery,
one result OF which was to enable the
differentiation OF the tissues to be car
ried to a greater refinement.
After paying tribute to Edison and
Tesla-the one for his study OF
microscopy. and the other for general
research-Dr. Morton showed and de-
scribed the apparatus he used in demon
stration.
In doing this he distributed for inspec-
ton a number OF interesting shadow
graphs remarking that these did not
give the best impressions of the value
OF the discovery. and that the stereop-
ticon did no better. The real work was
by the negatives. This was the case
in the shadowgraph of a child, in which
the osseous structure was shown, but
the interesting cerebral results were abb
sent In the shadowgraph, positive and
discernible I'm the negative.
The apparatus shown consisted OF a
Croker Wheeler quarter-horse-pOwer mo-
tor. with a make-and-break attachment
connected with the street arc-light wires,
"A Rhumkorfr coil with a 1-2-inch spark,
cabinet for tests In capacity, and
Crookes tubes OF various patterns.
The tube used by the lecturer was a
little different from the ordinary Crookes
tube. He called II focus-tube. Ii had
the usual anode and cathode adjustments
and when the attachments were made
there was beautiful demonstration Of
the greenish, opaline fluorescence charac-
teristic OF the Y rays.
DR.. Morton then exhibited Mr.. Edison's
Horoscope aud a screen coated with
tungstate Of calcium. 1t was but Is inches
by -, while the cost was more than
800
With the Horoscope and the X rays in
the wooden box, more than hundred OF
the audience, many OF them women,
were able to clearly see the bones OF their
own hands. President Fisher being the
first to test the invention.
Then the fluorescent screen was placed
about ten inches outside the box, and
DR.. Morton interposed his hand and arm,
and the test Of the ability OF the rays to
conquer the opacity OF the wood was alb
solutely satisfactory, as the bones OF the
hand and arm were shown on the screen.
other tests with pills in a morocco box
and various objects in interposition were
made. and the last test of the head or
DIR. Brill between the box and the screen
showed many OF the bones. OF the eX-
periments, DR.. Morton remarked;
What man sees himself he's salts
fled about"
DR.. Joseph Saxl presented woman pa
tient who was suspected OF having
needle in her right hand This was placed
over and bandaged with adhesive plaster
to shutter containing sensitive plate,
and the y rays were exposed for five
minutes When the plate was developed
an unusually successful shadowgraph was
found, and the needle was plainly seen
in the hand, parallel to the bones or the
two middle fingers.
! While the shadowgraph was being taken
the microscope was used to see II the
work was going on satisfactorily and
| this enabled many who had not seen the
skeletons of their hands to do so. A
second shadowgraph Of a mans hand
showed distinctly the point Of fracture In
| a finger.
A number OF stereopticon views were
| thrown on screen. They included por-
traits Of Professors Crookes and Roent-
gen, skeletons OF hands and feet, ana oo-
jects concealed in coverings whose opacity
| offered no resistance to the rays The
best Of the views were Of trout and
founder, and DR.. Morton's left foot In a
boot. The bones were visible, and the
leather did not appear, while the nails
and buttons In the gear were as distinct
as though marked in India ink.
At the conclusion OF the lecture Dr.
Morton was heartily applauded and con-