New-York tribune., 1896-11-18
NEW.JERSEY NEWS.
Y RAYS FOR BLINDNESS.
EDISON RELIEVES THAT SIGHT MAY BE
PARTIALLY RESTORED.
49, ,xrrprsrrvc EXPERIMENT on TWO BLIND
MEN AT THE WIZARDS LAEoRAToRf-THE
GREAT ELECTRICIAN TO DEVOTE HIS
TINT, TOWARD MAKING THE Dis
CovERY OF PRACTI-
CAT. BENEFIT.

CAT. EENEFlI
Oranee Nov l. oSpecaD.-As a result OF some eN-
neriments with the R0ngen rays conduc'e' III .'''
Edison laboratory. in West Orange. last nght
Thomas A. Edison promises that within three yea,
hlind mon and even men that hav" no eyes. II only
the optjc ,erve Is perfect. shall be able to see
The experiments were made last hibh, III Wv
laboratory on two blind men. jacob Mahrpao".'
and Otto Kallonsee. both OF whom i've III ->e"''H
Nahrbacber is a boilormaker. and in 1892 chip OF
iron flew into his eye and created an iniiamma'io'
which resulted in the loss Of the eye Inc o,ne' 's,
bccame affected by sympathy. and soon afterw'fu
he lost the sight OF this eye also ka'ensee mas oee
blind for about eleven years. ns the result OF an
abscess The men were taken 10 the fosoH '""o'"
tory last night -
Nahrbachcr was the first one to be tried lie s''
with his face close to one OF the trooKeS '"'eN ',o
tbe current was turned and Off repeatedly lie
saw nothing however. and then more po"eri"
tube was tried. As the current was turned OH anu
off Mahrbacher exclaimed that he couid see s"''e'
Ing sparks before his eyes. This was 'he extent Vi
the success with this patient
With KaIlcnsce the experiment; was far more sue
cessful lie stood before the X-ray bulb In an aiu-
tude Of expectancy. and as the current was tnrheu
on he shouted out: Il can see the hght' On 'h'
OFF the light was turned. and at each turning on oil
the light Kallensee exclaimed: Il can see it, He
was no; able however. TO distinguish any oDJccts
but only to see difference between Hight and dark
Strange 10 say the best results were not op-
tanned directly by the cathode rays. but In an
other direction. Mr. Edison had been Trying
for some time different lights with n We" to
testing their qualities. when he turned the current
ON TO "A small incandescent lamp in a red glass
hulb Kallcnsee was the subject on which this
was tried and he at once exclaimed that he sa"
tho light, which was more powerful. but soiter III
it's character. This seemed TO suggest new Idea
10 Mr. Edison and he studied over the matter for
some time and ar last drew his conclusions. lie
,atcd that within three years all blind men whose
optic nerve WAS practically intact would be abl'
TO see He proposes TO devote his energies TO the
evolution OF "A special y ray, which he feels sure
will accomplish this result. lie said that he did
not claim that the blind would be able to read
but that they would be able to distinguish objects
and p,rnaps to have some good ideas Of color.
Mr. Edison took leave Of the two blind men with
be discouraged. for he would surely ind cure
for their blindness yet.
Mr. Edison said this evening that he was led "a
the series Of experiments by an experience OF his
own last week. After he had been in the X-ray
room. with a powerful tube In operation. he found
his eyes smarting Putting his hands ovcr them
he found that the rays passed directly through ms
hands and that hc saw all the bones clearly. nnd
this without the Intervention OF the nuorescent
screen. He passed one hand over the other. and
found that when both hands were ia front OF his
see the bones In both hands.
This set him TO thinking and the result was that
he sent for the blind men. While Mr.. Edison dd
not believe that perfect sight could be restored "a
the blind. he thought that a modification OF their
condition would be probable liz suggested that
they might be able 10 read from metallic plates. In
ROntgen rays. There WAS 10 predicting the pOssi-
bilites that might dcvelo? In this new direction.