Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-18

Hard Question.
.Wha. causes the burn? Now you ask
me a hard question. 1 do believe that this
question is important. from a scientific
point of view, as that other one-'what is
the Y ray?'
Let me give you some of my expert
mental results, and you will see how hard
IL Is for me to answer the question At the
same time. will give you my opinion based
on these experiments. Before 1 go into
these results, 1 want to say few words
about Tesla. whom 1 consider the foremost
eAperimeatalist of this century.
Tesla, some time ago. laid down certain
reasons for his belief that the ray was
q projection of material particles-that Is,
the bombardment which went on within
the exhausted bulb, when the energiz1ng
coil was a powerful producer of energy, was
sufficient to project molecules of the rcsidu-
al gas. or particles of the source which was
bomba rded, right through the glass walls
of the bulb.
From his experiments he was led to be-
lieve that sufficient energy can be given
the molecules of the residual gas to cause
them to pass through the outer walls of the
tube. Now, it is a fact that all X-ray
tubes. they are used, keep on growing
higher in vacuum until a point is reached
when 1t is impossible to force any current
into the tube.
May Solve the Problem.
Some time ago / found some of my
bulbs covered with a dark film on the out
size, which / found not to be ordinary
dust. 1 wiped the tubes with a clean rag
of linen and took off large quantity of
black material 1 have sent this to a
chemist for analysis. If 1t should prove to
be particles of platinum from the reflector
within the bulb, the burn question may be
at once solved Now as to my own per-
scr al theory, deduced from my experience:
had occasion, not long ago. TO make an
examination, OF a patient, and he was con-
veniently and comfortably placed on an
improvised operating table. The tube was
set in operation and preparation made TO
make thorough examination of the foot
of the subject for a piece of needle which
had broken of in it. l was somewhat
astonished to find that when 1 approached
my hand to the foot 1 received a spark
from ii, Indicating that the patient was a
receptacle for considerable charge OF
electricity. and further inquiry showed
that this charge must have emana,ed from
the X-ray tube. AS the operation of the
Induction coil which energized the tube
showed that the current from it's terminals
tended to coalesce, and therefore neutral
lie. it struck me peculiar that we should
hnd distinct charge in the body of the
patient
Il conceived the idea then that when the
electricities of the two signs met in the
evacuated bulb. ii set up a characteristic
wave motion of its own, and peculiar, of
course, to a meeting of the two kinds of
electricity under these particular condi-
tions-that is, meeting in vacuum. At
once the question arose in my mind, Is
this charge responsible for the decomposi-
ton OF the tissue, so often noted as an eff
feet of long exposure? 1 reasoned that If
this We're so, there must be way of get
ting rio of the cause. 1 also reasoned that
If these wonderful rays carried with them
from the tube, charge of electricity pecu-
liar TO itself, such a charge, in passing
mig oil fh.
fects such as may be noticed when cleo
trical discharges are passed through aka
line or acid solutions.
RenctiOns In the Fluids.
Under the surface of the skin, this par
tioular charge might produce chemical re-
actions In the fluids known TO exist in the
skin tissues To me, the problem appeared
to be to get rid of the effect of the electrical
Charge which. it was evident, was carried
10 the skin by the rays. i knew. from
Teslas experiments. that If a metal screen
were interposed in the path of the rays.
some of the effects of the molecular bonn
bardnen would be annulled, but that if
the screen were of any considerable Thick
ness. the effect on the Photographic plate
or on the fiuorescing screen would be en-
t,rely done away with.
AS my object was to rid the rays of their
electrical charge only, and knowing that
the thinnest possible metal foil would do
this. and that the foil might be of exceed
Ing tEinneSS. sufficiently so that the effect
of absorption on the fuorescent screen
would not be noticeable, 1 chose gold foil
such as giiders use. putting it In shape on
cardboard and connecting up the metal
proper to the earth by means of a wire
connecting the gold foil screen 10 a con-
venient gas pipe.
Now the object of this arrangement was
this: The gold foil captured the electricity
from the rays. and the wire and gas pine
carried OIL the charge the earth m
is 1t not?
Deer Red Spot.
Effective? Well. let me tell you OF the
experiments with 1t. You see here on my
arm very deep red spot. That is an X
ray burn-one deliberately made to test
the value of the gold foil screen / pre-
pared a heavy lead plate to cover my arm
In the center of 1t bored a hole one inch
In diameter / covered my arm with the
Plate, and. using powerful tube, sent the
rays through this hole for fifteen minutes
The result you see fer yourself / have
severe burn of the exact size and shape
or the hole in the lead plate.
blind, now, the lead plate was of suf-
hcient thickness to effectually stop all rays
except those going through the hole At
the same time. l changed the plate 10 an
other portion OF my arm and exposed ills
trae Tor twenty minutes. You see abso-
lutely no effect, for this reason, Before l
i4s-cS til4o last tApOSuTe L covered the EOle
in the plate with the same amount of gold
ioI that have since adopted for my regu-
lar screen. When SO arranged 1 connected
the whole combination to the earth through
the wire leading TO the gas pipe BY this
means 1 robbed the rays of their electric
charge, carrying 1t off to the earth, and.
IN y measure, proving that the fault lies
In the electrical condition of the rays
Ihls does not prove anything against
Teslas theory of the projection of material
PARTICLES, Tor this condition may exist and
the particles cause the burn by reason of
thelr being carriers of an electrical charge
Yet, when robbed of this feature as they
may be by the metal earth connected
screen. they may be ineffective In the pro-
duction of these burns
Wave of Energy.
In my opinion the whole cause les in
the electricity carried forward by the wave
OF energy. which We now call the X raw.
BY the use of conducting substance OF
sufncient thinness, which does not inter-
1ere with the waves except TO rob them of
tLat feature which can cause decomposi-
ton IN the tissues of the body and which
We KNOW electricity can do tho uraya