El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-05
Human Rays
An Extraordinary phenome-
non Described.

Ihave discovered the very interest
ing fact that the human body emits
rays which act on q sensitive photo
graphic plate. There is a distinct diff
and that of light. They pass through
certain opaque substances, while to
others they impart their vibration; and
these substances in this condition then
act on a Photographic plate. l filled q
developing tray little over half full
of developing fluid, and placed sensi-
tive photograph in it with film up.
without the use of developing lamp.
Then 1 put the tips of my
fingers into the solution and kept
them for ten minutes as close as pos
sible to the film. After this the plate
was put as usual into the ''hypo" solu-
ton. When .taken out the negative
showed five distinct spots on the plate.
This showed that a chemical reaction
took place, but it did not give any in
| formation rs to the nature of this re-
action, whether it WAS caused by 8
chemical reagent like hydrogen sui
phide, which the body emitted, or by
rays, especially as it was difficult to
keep the fingers close to the plate with
out touching the film occas ionally.
Id u6AG experiment. pun WIG
plate in the tray with the film down
and resting on the four little buttons
with which the bottom of the tray was
provided. Then 1 pressed the back of
my four fingers gently against the
plate and kept them In position for ten
minutes. The result was a quite dis
tinct image of my fingers on the film.
In this case the reaction on the sill
yer compounds of the film was appar-
emily produced through the glass, still
the possibility was left that hydrogen
sulphide may have been absorbed by
the liquid, and being SO very diluted,
may have acted only on those parts of
the film which were warmed by the
touch of the fingers.
Next I soaked a plate for five min
utes in the developing solution, then
took the plate out, held it in one hand
and pressed the fingers gently against
the glass eide of the plate. There was
again the image of the fingers impress
ed on the film. This was nearly con-
elusive that the reaction took place
through the glass, but there was still
sulphide emitted into the air acted
more readily on the warmer places of
the film. 1 now soaked again q plate
for five minutes in the developing 60
luton and pressed the plate
with the film against the
rim of a cut glass vase. The soft film
closed the vase hermetically. Then I
placed the fingers on the back of the
plate for ten minutes, and obtained q
very distinct imprint of the fingers.
The result of this experiment convinc-
ed me that the reaction on the silver
compounds of the film was caused by
rays and not by any chemical reagent.
Then I tried the effect of the rays
when intersected by different substan-
ces. I placed silver dollar on the
glass side of the plate, the dollar be-
Ing covered by the developing solution,
and held two fingers during ten min
utes on the metal. The result was q
distinct impression of the dollar with |
out giving any detail of the stamp Of
the coin. The fingers touching the |
coin were not imprinted on the film. |
This indicates that the rays did not
pass through the metal, but that
their vibration was impaired to the
metal, which then acted on the film. |
Then 1 placed, also on the glass side OF
q plate, two silver dollars and touched |
one of them. The result showed that
the image of the dollar which 1 touched
was imprinted on the film, while the
other did not act at all.
In my next experiment 1 placed |
again Photographic plate in the tray
with the film down. Then I took the
hard rubber tray in my hand and plac-
ed my fingers on the outside of the |
bottom of the same and held them in |
position the usual time. The result of |
the experiment was plain imprint of
my fingers Oh the'flm. AS the plate |
rested on the four little buttons of the
bottom of the tray, the rays, before, |,
passed through one-eighth inch thick |
hard rubber and sheet of solution.
Comparing the results of the expert
ments, We find that by placing the fin
gers on the rubber origlass we obtain the
image of the fingers, while if we place
them on q metal we do not obtain the
image of the fingers, but that of the
metal we touched. Though the infor-
nation obtained by these few expert
ments is very limited. the results seem
to indicate that the human
rays have the property of
passing undisturbed through
which Is non-conductor of
rubber, glass;, while they
their vibration to q con-
ductor of electricity Silver, lead),
which then acts as such on the film.
My discovery undoubtedly opens q
very interesting field for investigation
for the Observation-Disclosures Holman,
In the Engineering and Mining Jour
nal, New York. Condensed for Public
Opinion.
Word comes from Jerome that
strike of rich copper sulphurets was
" I