The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-01-02
BOON TO THE BLIND.
EyesiRht May Be Restored by
EdisOn's Scientific Skill
Remarkable Results Follow tho First
ExpsFiments In This Direction
The Z Ray the Agency

Thomas A.. Edison, who has given
to the world 80 many marvels OF elec-
trio science, has paused to do another
good deed for humanity. Through his
Horoscope the man who breaks his leg
can watch the surgeon fit together the
ragged fracture with a certainty that
the work Is being done rightly. Mr..
Edison now demands that the blind
shall be allowed to see. He was led
into this train of thought in quite an
accidental way. Some little time ago,
while at work in the Roentgen ray room,
he happened to lean his head upon his
hands, with his palms pressed against
his closed eyes.
At the time his head was in the neigh
borhood of Roentgen tube and to his
he found that he could
see through his closed eyelids and
hands. This astonishing result caused
Mr.. Edison to reason that if the X ray
would penetrate through his closed
eyelids, why should it not penetrate
through .. cataract in the eye or any
similar obstruction and inform the
optic nerve, provided the latter were
still intact? In the case Of q deaf man,
where the tympanum has been de-
stroyed but the aural nerve remains,
sounds can be transmitted through the
teeth. So much for theory and the next
step was to make a practical test
Interested friends offered to bring
before him some persons afflicted with
blindness. The offer was quickly ac-
cepted by the wizard. and it was not
long afterward when Jacob Mahr-
bacher aud Otto Kallensee, of Newark,
walked into the laboratory. Mr.. Ed
ison patiently heard the story of their
Mahrbacher was the first to be tried by
Mr.. Edison. The light was flashed be-
fore his eyes and gradually the opera
tor turned on the X ray current strong
er and stronger. Finally, as the strong
est light was reached Mahrbacher
tremblingly announced that he could
see glittering substance. Mr.. Edison's
face frightened and again the tube was
changed.
Ksllensee then stood before the X
ray and gazed unblinkingly at it for
some time. Another light was
thrown, and with almost sob the man
cried: 81 can see light. It's burning
now. isn't it? I can see."
The best result was reached by the
light in red globe, and
this gave Edison a clew that may be
important. Many experiments were
tried, by the use of direct rays and also
the horoscope, but with no better re-
suits.
After working for two hours Mr.. Ed
ison concluded to postpone the expert.
ments for time. AS the men left him
he said to them:
"Don't be discouraged. men know
it is aHfully hard TO be blind, but we
will find a cure for you yet"
The result of this test was not as sat-
Isfactory rs it might have been had the
persons experimental with been OF Il
ki~,, order of intelligence. Comment
ins upon this Mr.. Edison said:
"Jacob Mahrbacher and Otto Kallen-
zee were not the right kind of subjects.
I want a thoroughly intelligent man.
one who can explain his sensations t.
me as go along, for without knowing
these am as much in the darl; as he is.
These men could not tell me what they
saw. They were hysterical with delight
at being able to see anything, and were
sure they would soon be able to read
fine print by candle light. All knew
is what they could tell me, and tina,
wasn't much. They said they saw
points of fire dance before their eyes
when the current was on, and were in
Egyptian darkness when it was off. I
did not have the apparatus to make the
test that will be made later on have
simply pointed the way and there rs no
telling who will make the final discov-
cry. 1t may be made in Germany, San
Francisco, or France, or here in West
Orange"
.'Why should not these persons use
your Ruorescope?" was asked OF the
wizard.
.That is out of the question" Mr.. Ed
ison replied. 1.-The Horoscope Is ordi-
nary daylight. It simply converts the
unexplainable Roentgen ray into Or
binary light by rejecting it on particles
of calcium tungstate. This mineral has
the property of converting the invisible
ray into light. Put the Roentgen ray
into a dark box and you have absolute
night. Put into that box crystals OF the
simple calcium tungstate and you have
light. If we had always known the
Roentgen ray we should have regarded
the tungstate calcium as phosphores'
cent mineral, they have such an af1inlty
for each other. These two mnke the
Horoscope; 60, you see, they would DO
the blind man no good.
Tremendous interest was aroused
among scientific and philanthropic per-
sons by the announcement OF Mr. Ed
ison's discoveries. Medical men are con-
servative, however, and to what extern
Ed;son's latest application OF the
Roentgen rays may improve the slCnt
of persons partially blind or restore
sight of persons in utter darkness none
of the most eminent oculists or the best
known opticians would hazard predic-
ton. Most oculists aud number OF
specialists in the electro-pokhologlcal
branch OF medical science are already
at work experimenting along the lines
suggested by the Wizards revelations
regarding his latest discovery.-Chicar
90 Times-Herald.
A Tie Of Sympathy.
MY-SA Il eA,.a.,ns how reOnle thrown