The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-20
GETS A THOUGHT PICTURE.
Son of Thomas A. Edison Announces
Wonderful Invention.


NEW YORK. Dec. 19.-Thomas A.
Edison Jr. has photographed thought.
At least he feels so confident that he
had done so that he is going on with
his experiments.
By means of the Roentgen rays ap-
piled to the back of mans head he
photographed round objects, which
Edison believes to be the quarter Of a
dollar upon which the subject had, &C
cording to directions, concentrated his
thoughts. This image was secured on
an extremely sensitive plate, the max
ing of which is Mr. Edison's secret.
Mr.. Edison is not very sanguine that
he will be able to photograph COM
pick thought-such as a landscape, for
instance. The most that he now hopes
for Is that he may be able to photo
graph a single object on which the sub
ject will concentrate his mins-as in
his first eXperiment-so as to demand
some exercise Of faith and imagination.
Yet it is convincing to him, and also
to others who witnessed the expert
ment
Mr.. Edison declined to tell where his
experiment was conducted. He is equal
ly reticent as to who were with him
at the time the quarter of dollar
thought was photographed.
1T shaved the objects head" he
said, preparatory to the experiment.
Then metallic discs were applied to
each side of the head, just above the
ears. Another similar disc was applied
to the top of his head. Finally a sort
of mask covered all his head and face,
leaving holes for the eyes and for
breathing The three discs were bat
teries. The experiment took place in a
room that was absolutely dark. with
the subject seated in front of brass
tIrna innhaG
from minute opening in the END or
the tube, the x rays were applied To
the base Of the head
"The construction Of the interior OF
the tubes through which he looked Is
partially secret. l may say, however
that there were several prisms in 1t.
These were to collect all the light rays
which came from his eyes. The prisms
did not cross the interior of the tune,
but left a small opening in direct line
from his eyes to the other end OF the
tube. This was for the direct passage
Of the x rays. At the farther end of
the tube was attached the plate.
Before the photo was made L at
tached a new quarter of dollar to
piece Of white paper and told the SUD-
iect to fix all the power of his mind
upon it. / told him to go over In detail
every outline made by the mint stamp.
to fix his mind on the formation OF
every letter, every line of engraving:
Then, as quickly as possible, placed
him before the tube in the dark room
and told him to again fix his mind
on the quarter-to recall every marx
he had noted.
"Then 1 applied the Roentgen rays
and exposed the sensitive plate at the
end Of the tube, into which ne was
looking, for about minute-as long as
the subject could stand it. In fact, he
stood it apparently as long as he had
control of himself. 1 tore the disks
from his head and he wandered aim
lessly about the room.
'.To my amazement I found that the
man was completely hypnotized. He
had no will of his own. He was COM
pleteIy subject to me. He would do
whatever I told him. 1 dashed cold
water on him and he finally recovered
himself, though for time he was
dazed He could not get his mind on
ANYTHING but that quarter Of a dol
lar. I met him several days after on
the street. He was as well as ever.
but said the image Of the coin was
constantly dancing before his eyes.
II developed the plate. and dis
tinct round object stood out upon it.
To me it was a satisfactory photo
graph Of the quarter of dollar. AT
all events, 1 am satisfied with the eX-
pertinent.
at am more convinced than ever of
the correctness Of the theory on which
I started. That theory was that, if
the mind were concentrated upon an
opaque object, photograph of that OBJ
ject might be thrown upon a photo
graphic plate with power enough to
be caught and held by It, If the plate
were sufficiently sensitive.
81 do not know that the Roentgen
rays are essential. I am inclined to
think they are not-that the light rays
from the eyes alone are all that is nee
essary. I am going to make my next
experiments without the X rays.
"As to what practical use may be
made of the process, that remains to
be seen. I can believe it may be the
means possibly Of discovering crimi-
nails. If a person distinctly sees the
face Of another person who commits
crime, that face may be photographed
Just as the quarter Of dollar was
photographed by subjecting the per-
son who saw it to the same process
that the man who saw the quarter
of a dollar was subjected"
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