Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-20
THE INVISIBLE AT LAST.
Scientists Discover Fluid That Makes
Small Bodies Transparent.

Now and then writer's with vivid
imaginations have written stories of
adventure and mystery In which one
or more characters we're able to make
themselves invisible such stories
have generally proved OF great inter-
est, but were never regarded in any
other light than an entertaining form
of fantastic fiction. as Jules Verne's
stories We're regarded
But some of Nerne,s most fantastic
stories. like Twenty Thousand
Leagues Under tfe Sea. were not
such vain. imasinngs after all. as
our great flotillas of submarines now
prove. although We have not yet
equalled in actual deeds his story of
a trip TO the moon.
Perhaps II. G. Wells is as imagina-
tive an author as We have to-day.
after the manner of the great French
man, Verne. His War of the Worlds
and his stories of trips to Mars and
."rhe Island of DIR. Mereau" were re-
markable Tor their ima gination as well
as from MANY otIieF points of view,
and Mr. Wells has Teen called a
semi scientific" author. While this
may lie bit exaggerated. he wrote
with considerab bic conviction. one of
his stories beng %The Invisible Man"
In this his hero WAS able to make
himself transparent by causing all
the clements of his body To assume
the same rcfraetiye power toward
light as that possessed by he air of
outdoors.
And now there are scientists in both
France and Germany who are serious
ly working along these lIlcs-making
sasu effort 10 produce means whereby
bodies may be made transparent.
&c ever such a thing happened. If
N11ens were ever perfected whereby
afkind could make himself Invisible
VE#sil the result would be so Won
NMul that it can scarcely be imag-
ined now.
These French and German biologists
worked out all sorts of methods. and,
strange to say. both seemed to hit
upon the same idea at the same time.
and that was the simplest method of
all-at least from the viewpoint of
the unscientific person.
These biologists took for an exam
pie the sheet of ordinary paper. 1t is
translucent, generally opaque. Every
one knows that even thick and alb
solutely opaque sheet of paper may be
made transparent in a minute by APP
plying grease to it.
The work of these biologists has been
to prepare liquid which they satu-
rate with the right sort of oil. This
preparation il is claimed, when APP
piled to small bodies will at once make
it 50 transparent that the organs may
be seen at work and the bones clearly
outlined.
Prof. Spalteholz. of Leipsic and
Prof Schultz, together with Yves De-
lage, have been working separately
upon this experiment, but each with
startling results and no small degree
of success. In fact, so wonderful have
been their experiments that DR.. AL
fred Gradenwitz has described what
he has learned of ii and what he is
at liberty to make public of it in
most interesting article in the French
publication. La Nature. -
Part of the light that strikes an
object" writes DIR. GradenwitZ, lis re-
Elected ut it's surface and the remain
der penetrates to its interior This has
long been well known. Also. ii is not
difficult to understand how great
progress could be made in the study of
anatomy II organs could be viewed
while at work and il the entire body
could be studied as though il Were
clock, the case Of which has been re-
there ever WAS anything to compare
moved leaving every wheel and spring
and cog out in the bright daylight"
From this it is plain that these biol
ogists are, working to make bodies
transparent and then invisible, but
their actual effort at present is doubt
less directed to making bodies trans
parent solely TO aid physicians and
surgeons in the great struggle to
learn everything about the ills OF the