The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-05-10
AN AID TO THE x RAY.
Details Of a Doctors Discovery
In Fluorescent Liquids.

SURGICAL DIAGNOSIS MADE SURE
Rndiations WIN Not Pass Fluores-
cent Liquids = Density Not the
Only Observation-Disclosures ResnIts
Leading Toward Light without
Heat Have Also Been Obtained.
nr. William James Morton, professor
Of electro therapeutics ia the New York
Postgraduate hospital who first an
nomced that fuorescent liquids when
used III conjunction with radium or the
Roentgen or x rays would cure cancer,
has made another important discovery
in the line of fuorescence. and has also
obtained results in another experiment
that warrant the conviction that be
has reached the objective point Of this
line Of scientific research for years
past. says the New York World The
experiments made SO far indicate that
Or. Morton has found a cold light
illumination without heat.
The new discovery in fuorescence
has added another law to the purposes
and action OF the \ ray as announced
by Roentgen, and it explains why the
treatment of cancer with flnorescent
liquids should be successful Up to
the present time all authorities from
Roentgen down declare that density
alone has stopped the radiations from
the Crookes tubes. Roentgen's law Of
the X ray as announced by him was as
follows:
The \ rays have the power Of pene-
trating In different degrees certain sub
stances which are opaque to light, and
it is this property which gives them
! their PECULIAR value For instance.
flesh is fairly transparent to the n
rays. as are also wood, leather, paper
and most fibrous materials. If a block
of soft wood containing a nail be pho
Itographed the plate will show the nail
clearly and the wood hardly at ALL
To this law Of the y ray, which deals
only with dense matters and does not
mention liquids at all, DR.. Morton
adds fuorescent liquids or, as they have
often been termed, liquid sunshine"
When the stomach or any cavity or
diseased portion Of the body Is filed
with tiuorescent liquid it acts just the
same as though you had filed it with
some plastic material leads. for in
stance. 1t solidifes, and upon the pho
tographic plate Under the X rays
shows virtually the same, In the fiesh
as the nail does in the wood.
The discovery Of this important sci
entifc feature was practically by acct
dent ia the course Of experiments. 1t
was desired to make photograph of
rack Of test tubes containing aescn-
lin, luorescin aud quinine liquids.
These were placed ID front Of the ma
chine and subjected to the light. The
negative showed the fiuorescent tubes
deep black The rays did not pene-
/ trate the liquid and made heavy
shadowgraph upon the plate. Another
| experiment was made, adding to the
rack two tubes Of clear water The
Trays penetrated the water. but did not
penetrate the tluorescent liquid
Then the hand Of one Of Or. Morton's
assistants ana afterward a stomach
were photographed Comparisons were
made with negatives taken OF similar
portions Of the body when the subject
had not been treated with fuorescent
liquid Whore there had been no treat
ment tie impressions We're indistinet,
but where fuoreseent liquid had been
taken it gave shape to the interior, and
d clear reproduction was obtained on
the negative.
Dr. Morton's discovery makes the y
ray practical for diagnosis and in in
testinal diseases OF appendicitis ena-
bles the surgeon to chart the seat Of
trouble accurately and use his knife
without fear Of making a haphazard
inclsion
1t was in experimenting with fiuor-
escent liquids that Or. Morton got on
the track Of what Will be still more
valuable discovery the production Of
cold light One Of his test tubes filled
with aeseulin which under the \ ray
/ is of an ultra violet colOr-was excited
by a certain mineral which he had
i placed lii the tube When the liquid
was drained from the tube there was
left upon the glass blue. cold light
that did not diminish as the glass
dried.
II Dr. Morton fully develops this dis
covery it means that If an electric
lamp costs cent an hour he can pro-
duee 4 cold light that viii cost one
hundredth of a cent and give greater
Illuminating power The mineral that
Or. Morton is experimenting with IS
| practically lndesHuctible and IS easily
agitated by very weak electric cur
| rent It gives out a beautiful light
/ without heat
Joke on Ynfe Ii RihIe Text.