Morris tribune., 1903-08-08
OF THE x RAY.
Edison Says He Is Afraid Of
the New Light.
H1sIMpLoYEE LOST HAND AND ARM


Fluorescent Lamp, Finding His
Sight Impaired by Experiments.
Will Have Nothing to Do With
Radium.
That impaired sight, cancerous dis
ease and even death may come to him
who is continuously exposed to or in
experienced in the use of Roentgen
RAYS has been demonstrated in a pitt
able manner in the labWatory OF
Thomas A. Edison at Orange, N. j.
Clarence Daily, an assistant to the
wizard of Menlo Park" has COLI
tributed an arm and a hand to this
demonstration, while Mr.. Edison him
self suffers from the disturbed focus
Of one of his eyes through experiments
with the mysterious light in an en-
deavor to find for it some commercial
utility.
Mr.. Edison was recently seen at his
home in Llewellyn Park, Orange, by
New York World reporter and asked to
tell the story of the experiment which
disabled Daily and came near making
Mr.. Edison sightless.
Don't talk to me about x rays" he
said. II am afraid Of them. l stopped
experimenting with them two years
ago, when 1 came near losing my eye
sight, and Daily, my assistant, prac-
ticaIly lost the use of both of his arms.
I am afraid Of radium and polOnium,
too, and don't want to monkey with
them.
Cup, to two years ago was deeply
interested in x rays. 1 used a fuoro-
scope which 1 invented, pyramidal
box with one open end, the smaller,
and a larger closed end, the covering
being a chemical sheet against which
the object to be examined is placed, the
rays being focused upon it. l was
making experiments in a dark room
that 1 had constructed in one end of
the laboratory. 1 was looking for an
crystal, and there we're daily
results that fascinated me and kept my
eye glued to the Horoscope virtually
all the time.
II used my left eye, and one day
when came out of the dark room and
closed my right eye for a moment ev-
erything looked double. l FASTENED to
an oculist, who said that my eye was
over a foot out Of focus.
1t is still imperfect, and l do not think
that it will ever be entirely we'll.
when l noticed the effect upon my
eye cautioned Daily. l told him that
there was danger in the continuous use
If the tubes, but he persisted because
ne was so enthusiastic upon the sub
ect. The only thing that saved my
syesight was that 1 used very weak
,ube, while Daily insisted in using the /
most powerful one he could find.
"The box Of the Horoscope only par" i
ell upon his hair and made it fall out
hat is, what was left Of it after expos ;
ng his head to the light in a reckless
way to illustrate it's power. Parts Of his !
land and arm were also exposed to the
lction of the light
81 am keeping him on the pay roll.
he is not able to do any work, |
md l expect to take care Of him as
ong as he lives / have sent him away |
m vacation to Woodbridge, N. j.,
where the change may do him good"
Speaking of radium, Mr.. Edison,
what is your opinion of it?' asked the
eporter.
II have had several pieces of it from
Nine. Curie in Paris, and l have ex-
,erimented with it. l do not see it's
commercial utility, but it opens up a
;reat field Of thought and scientific re-
earch. 1t overturns all the old the
ries of force and energy and has set
cientists to thinking. Do 1 believe
hat it is the solution of perpetual mo-
ion? No. I have a peculiar theory
bout radium, and I believe it is the
orrect one.
81 believe that there is some mysteri-
us ray pervading the universe that is
luorescing to it. In other words that
II its energy Is not self constructed,
tut that there is a mysterious some
hing In the atmosphere that scientists
ave not found that is drawing out
uOSS IuuuILGSlIudl dCOIIlS anu ulSIF1DuL- |
ng them forcefully and indestructi-
ly."
Did you ever find any commercial
tility in the x rays or radium?"
"My researches, l might as we'll tell
GU now that have abandoned them,
we're in the direction Of making a flu
resent lamp. l obtained results which
rought me each day nearer to the OBJ
ect Of my desire. l found a crystal
nat was fuorescing $1,000 times, and
thought had my lamp. Then came
he question of practical USE could
lake the lamp all right, but when did !,
} found that it would kill everybody
Tho would use it continuously.
mo, do not want to know anything
lore about x rays. In the hands of
experienced operators they are a valu-
BILE adjunct to surgery, locating as
ley do objects concealed from view,
nd making, for instance. the operation
)r appendicitis almost sure. But they
re dangerous, deadly. in the hands
the inexperienced or even in the
20 4ho ,,,o,o ybo &c 11e;nC +l,o,,o |