The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-11-20
FEARFUL RAVAGES
MADE BY THE X-RAY
Clarence N. Daily Was a
Martyr to Science
EDISON HAS CLOSE SHAVE
Was In Danger of Blindness and Cult
wOrk-stranse Disease That
Resulted in pally's Death
Is Explained.
EDISON HAS CLOSE SHAVE
From the New York World.

| From the New YORK Worla.
with his arms amputated at the shoul-
der. and with strange callosites and
burns all over his body, Clarence NJ.
Daily. the chief assistant of Thomas A.
Edison, died In East Orange a SHIRT time
ago, a victim of X-rays.
| Slowly recovering from an operation
| for the removal of his right hand and
part of his left hand, which had become
affected through long continued exposure
to Roentgen rays, DR.. Louis A. Wegel, of
Rochester, lies PROSTATE, another martyr
to science. DR.. Weigel took up X-ray
study several years ago, and persisted
with his experiments until some months
ago, when he suddenly realized that his
hands were seriously affected and his
whole future health and activity threat
ened as the result of his dangerous work.
After a consultation of eminent surgeons
and physicians, it was decided that Il
would be necessary to remove his right
hand at the wrist, and all but the thumb
and little finger of his left hand It is
not at all certain that he will not have to
sacrifice even these in the near future.
On the body of Thomas A. Edison there
are gnarled bumps, showing the terrible
power of the flying ions, projected into
space from electrical currents. 1t was
in Edison's laboratory that Daily fell a
victim to the deadly X-ray
For many months Edison and Daily
worked by night and by day in their dark
cabinet before the flaming green beacon,
in tn eheart of which they believed
lurked the tremendous secrets of nature.
1t f1ared into their eyes until they could
scarcely see. The atomic suns and me-
teors hurled in billions through their
bodies made them Jingle. The two sci
entists looked at each other and laughed
at the sensation.
Here was secret, mysterious and tre-
mendous; secret to be probed to its
fountain-head. 1T makes my hands feel
like vichy tastes" said Daily to Edison
one day.
1T may be superheated particles of
flying matter, Daily" returned Edison
But the work of the green ions was
that of DEATH. They continued to flare
and flame like a tigers eyes until Edi-
son was threatened with blindness and
ceased the work altogether.
Daily continued Thena strange thing
happened. A eancerous growth appeared
on his left wrist. Great physicians and
surgeons throughout the worldd had
averred that the Roentgen rays would
cure cancer; yet here was a curious cam
cerous formation born of the very rays
which were supposed to be curative.
His hands became infamed. Then they
were denuded, as though he had been Sc
verely scalded.
Grated Skin Could Not Live.
In Febru1ry, 1902, more than $50 pieces
OF skin taken from his legs were grated
on his hands. But they failed to take
hold. The X-rays had done their work
SO thoroughly that the cells were sterile
and dead. New skin refused to form.
The vitality of his arms was lost.
At last nally's hands were amputated
at the wrist. He recovered, and arti-
fetal hands were provided. Thus ac-
coutred, he cought to continue his work.
The mysterious and unearthly disease
continued its work. The growth reap
peared. Operation after operation was
performed, until only the stumps of the
sufferers arms remained.
Then the disease seemed to affect his
system, and he began to losoe strength.
AS long as he could stand on his feet
however, he continued to work in the eff
fort to solve the strange secrets of the
x-rays. The battle was in vain, and at
last Daily died.
The famous physicians of the country
naturally deeply interested In the subject
expressed their opinions upon 1t. DIR. e..
A. Florentlne, a famous physician of
Saginaw, Mich, said
THE so-called X-ray burns may be
classified in three ways: as X-ray burns,
gangrene, or electric burns.
The pathological process Is variable
and sometimes advances to aggravated
liberation. In others the effect Is upon
the hair, which these burns cause to fall
out. They appear directly upon the
body exposed to the rays, and may be
attributable to low vacuum and long ex-
posures.
I'm order to avoid burns the X-rays
should not be less than eight inches
from the skin exposed to them. The
remedy for them Is carefulness.
DR.. T. B. Honraide, himself a suf-
ferer from the effects of the mysterious
ray, has found remedy for the burns
in bicarbonate of soda. His theory is
trio acid generated from the aqueous va
por Of the air by the rays. The acid
being electrified, 1t is more powerful
than otherwise.
Many physicians claim, however, that
the burns cannot be explained by any
hypothesis agreeable to the atomic theory
since the rays act In a manner making an
exception to the generally accepted
atomic hypothesis.
Daily Was Martyr.
Dally's pitiful case was thoroughly ex-
planned by DIR. w. B. Graves, his ply.
stefan. one OF the leading surgeons OF
New Jersey