The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-12
EDISON'S NEW LIGHT.
MARVELLOUS DISCOVERY OF THE
GREAT WIZARD OF ELECTRICITY.

woaderful Crystal, With which He Hopes
20 Mako tho Body Perfectly Transpsr>
ont Entirely New Field For Scientific
Research Opened Up by 1t.
Thomas A. Edison is about to give 10
She world another discovery as wonder.
full In its way as the Horoscope.
BY means of the fuoroscope Mr.. Edi-
son put to practical use the discovery of
the 30 called K rays by Professor Roent-
gen. His latest discovery is a further
development ON this same line.
Mr.. Edison, realizing the limitations
OF the microscope, its power when ap-
piled to the human body-for in its sur
gical possibilities lies its greatest bene-
mt to mankind-being confined to re-
vealing the bony structure and the dim
outlines Of such solid organs as the
heart, is determined to find, If posi-
BILE, some substance Of more sensitive
quality than the tungstate Of calcium
used in the horoscope.
1T was" says he, "the action Of the
x ray ON crystals of platinocyanide of
barium which caused Roentgen to make
the original discovery. Immediately
afterward 1 discovered that tungstate of
calcium was more powerful, and con-
structed practical instrument for util-
izing the crystals in connection with
the x ray
Tungstate Of calcium not being suffi-
ciently sensitive to transform the
strange light discovered by Roentgen
into light that would so illuminate
the interior of the human body as to
render its most delicate tissues visible
in other words, to make it transpar-
ent-Mr. Edison set about to find
crystal that would possess the requisite
quality.
He has discovered one. It's name he
will not yet reveal, saying that he is
still experimenting with it and desires
to exhaust it's possibilities before an
nouncing 1t to the world.
Less than year ago it was thought
marvellous when the bones Of the hand
were photographed. But by means of
the newly discovered crystals Mr.. Edi-
son can now disclose to the eye of the
surgec.l organs and tissues that have
hitherto been seen only in the dissect-
ing room and ON the operating table. 1t
is probable that when he perfects his
new discovery the slightest derange-
ment Of the system will be revealed to
the Doctors eye.
So sensitive are these crystals that a
man with his eyes bandaged may dis
Germ objects, which suggests the posi-
hot In tHA rf hn lind 40
world around them may become visu-
al reality.
In speaking of his work to a reporter
Mr.. Edison said:
For the last six months have been
experimenting for the production of
chemical crystals which should have
the peculiar property of giving out light
when subjected to the action Of that
mysterious force called Professionally the
x ray Of Roentgen.
81 saw that with the Horoscope as
it is today only the bones Of the body
and the heart can be seen, and that il
the internal organs are to be rendered
visible it will be essential to increase
the sensitiveness of the crystals used in
the Horoscope as well as the variation
in the quality of the X ray.
II first purchased in this country and
Europe all the chemicals known and
sold in the trade which did not al
ready possess These were all tried in
the Horoscope. Only one was found
equal in sensitiveness to tungstate of
calcium Since then my chemists have
been making chemical combinations not
procurable elsewhere.
"Your chemists must roduce large
number of new combinations, ven
tured the reporter.
Their average is 80 new chemical
substances day. Every one of these is
subjected to the x ray, and its fiuores-
cling power, if any, is measured.
"And do any of them compare favor
ably in fiuorescing power with tung-
state Of calcium?"
II have found one chemical which is
more sensitive to the X ray than any
heretofore known. But shall keep on
trying until little hope is left of finding
anything better"
when do you suppose the chances of
such discovery will be exhausted?"
Practically never, for when you re-
member how many chemicals there are
and then calculate the number of posi-
BILE combinations you will find that they
run up into hundreds of millions.
"The possibilities Of this discovery,
Mr.. Edison, in their relation to surgery
seem immense.
Eyes. Should succeed in finding
Just what I am after there is no doubt
that the Horoscope will become an in
strument Of great value to the surgeon,
for by it he will be able to make accu-
rate diagnosis Of the internal organs.
There is another discovery that may
have an important bearing ON Mr.. Edi
sons experiments and that suggests re-
markable possibilities in the realm Of
light manipulation. 1t is that OF the
French chemist Becquerel that certain
crystals of the salts of the metal urani-
um, when subjected to the action OF SUM-
light and then taken into dark room,