Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-05-04

country among students of electrical
therapeutics. In the course Of these
experiments DR.. Roberts sent a cur
rent through his body and thence to
Crooks tube. In this he created an
X-ray by means Of which photograph
of hand was taken, showing perfect
ly its skeleton. The X-ray was of rare
brilliancy and penetrating power. But
even were this not true the feat would
be remarkable in that he Is the first
man to ever make himself the con-
ductor of q current of electricity OF
great power enough to create an X-ray.
The secret Of DR.. Roberts success In
his experiments is that he employed
what Is known to be a static current
through his body. The static-current
has no volume, but great power. 1t is
not the potential energy that kills, but
the volume. This may be illustrated
by an analogy. A needle might be
passed through the body with great
rapidity and power, but it would not
be as harmful as a thousand needles
passed through slowly and with little
power. In other words, the power, the
voltage, has nothing whatever to do
with the physiological effect. 1t is the
number of needles, the amperage. Still
the experiment is not without danger. 1t
requires a nice adjustment of machin-
cry to produce the proper kind of cur
rent. 1t requires thorough knowledge
Of certain conditions to apply the cur
rent perfectly. 1t requires familiar
afrsfo nrat, fn ont
shock. To DR.. Roberts it had little or
no danger. 1.-THE idea of passing an
X-ray current through my body was
conceived" DIR. Roberts explained,
"while l was making experiments in
electrical therapeutics. l became con-
vinced that it could be done if the cur
rent were produced by a static ma
chine, and Immediately proceeded to
do It. Static currents have no volume
and therefore do not kill. The only
effect they can produce is that of a
slight burning. l was used to this SEN
sation from handling the machine in
my practice, and consequently the pow
erful X-ray stream did not give me the
slightest pain.
profession has exactly what it needs
to balance. The static current Is elec-
tricity restrained in a condition of high
tension. 1t is sometimes called Frank
linic because Franklin demonstrated it's
identity with terrestrial electricity. 1t
Is electrical pressure without volume.
1t Is almost free from amperage and
consists almost wholly of voltage. Poet
ically, it is the great invisible messen-
ger for light, heat and electricity from
the tangible storehouse of nature. The
generating of the static current is SIM
pie. An initial charge Of electricity
must be impaired to the armature or
receiving part Of the machine. The
plates are set in motion with artificial
power. About the revolving plates a
certain multiplication of the certain
electricities takes place by the influence
of one charged body upon another, with
the resulting output Of static currents
depending upon speed, number Of and
diameter Of plates and atmospheric
conditions. This machine, which is not
more than five feet long, six feet high
and three feet wide, Is capable of gen.
erdClQS 1O,OOU,OOO fOllS VI SicCIiiSlly.
Anybody could do the same thing un-
der the same conditions. This machine
while throwing off a prodigious amount
of energy, Is much like serpent whose
fangs have been removed. The major
portion Of it's destructive force is sub
dued because its amperage Is small,
owing to its peculiar construction. OF
course, it would be dangerous for a
novice to attempt to perform this ex-
pertinent. He would probably be pain
fully injured and worse consequences
might ensue. The experimenter must
have perfect knowledge and control of
the machine. He must also have &C
customed himself to electric currents,
for there would be great shock to one
unused to it upon getting into the cir
cult of an X-ray stream. These two
conditions complied with, l see no rea-
son why anybody should not perform
this feat
There were other interesting expert
ments performed by DR.. Roberts along
he same line. In one Of these he
placed patient on table set on legs
81 ,,,7rost aloatrical srlas Running