The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-31
A STRANGE DISCOVERY.

The most interesting feature of the al
legged discovery by Professor Roenigen of
the Bavarian University of means Of
photographing through solids is that it is
taken seriously. 1t is given a range of
possibilities that reflects the highest credit
on the fecundity of the human magma
ton. All that the learned inventor seems
to claim is that by this process a dense
object may be photographed through a
less dense enveloping substance. Thus
the bones of man may be photographed
through his flesh. But the imaginative
writer is not satisfied with discovery SO
interesting even as that; he must declare
that the viscera may thus be brought to
light, and, by such exploration, the loca-
ton and character of internal disorders
and LESSONS ascertained. Nothing could
be so manifestly in contravention of the
original claim.
Thomas Edison gives the following sci
entitic explanation of the matter: 1.-The
cardinal factor of the whole matter is this
radiant heat; but l am satisfied the
Wurzburg inventor has special rays
thereof and special chemical plates.
Radiant heat is the energy of heat trans
terred to the luminiferous ether which fills
all space and also peryades all bodies.
The hot body sets the ether particles in
vibration, and this vibratory motion, in
the form of waves, travels in all directions
and with velocity of about 10000 miles
a second. There is nc essential difference
between radiant heat and light, the ether
waves differing intrinsically among them
selves in wave length only, and thus pro-
ducing different effects-heating, lumin-
Gus and chemical-in the bodies on which
they impinge, according to the nature of
these bodies. The waves whose heating
effect is generally the greatest are of
greater wave length than those which
most affect the eye-hght rays-and have
longer periods OF vibration. The quantity
of heat of body or the amount of heat
energy which body gains or loses in
passing through different range of tenn
perature is measured by the quantity of
water it would raise at one degree Fahren-
heit."
1t is evident, if there is really basis in
truth for the announcement that the
Bavarian scientist has made this alleged
discovery, that IT'S efficiency would be de-
pendent upon extremely difficult condi-
tons and that a photograph SO produced
must necessarily be very indistinct. Thus,
not only must the skin and flesh covering
bone be photographed on the sensitive
plate, but the adjustment of the power of
the light to the depth and consistency of
the flesh and the time of exposure would
be necessary elements of the photograph
Ing process. It is easy to imagine that
mathematical determination of these ele-
ments beforehand would be impossible.
If, for instance, there should not be an ex-
act balancing of essential conditions, even
the bone itself might be given the appear
ance OF transparency, and SO have no
more value on the plate than the impress
sion left by the inclosing flesh. AS for
photographing the visceral organs through
flesh which may be, and through bone
which certainly is, denser than they,
the idea is manifestly self-contradictory.
There seems to be nothing so far upon
which to found hope that the invention
viii prove to have any conspicuous value
We have not forgotten the great excite
ment following the announcement that
the art of photographing the colors of an
object had been discovered, nor how
quickly the subject was dropped. Pho
Biography has made wonderful strides and
has accomplished incredible things, and
many more triumphs await it; but they
will likely be found to have deeper root
in common-sense than the one announced
from Bavaria.