Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-01-08
THE x-RAY.

The discovery Of the X-ray burst
upon the world without the slightest
warning and completely astounded
even the most astute and learned
scientists of the time. But We can
now see that it was the perfectly logi-
cal sequence of a long series Of dis
coveries. following numberless expert
ments by many individuals with q
scientific toy known as the Geissler
tube. Geissler had demonstrated the
peculiar behavior of electric dis
charges through different gases con-
fined In a sealed tube and under varl'
Gus degrees of vacuum, whereby the
spark became a more or less steady
stream.
Following Geissler, Sir William
Crookes became the chief investigator
along these lines. and by means OF
miniature wind-wheels and turbines IN
his improved tubes, now known as
Crookes tubes, demonstrated that the
current of electricity flowing from the
negative pole and known as the catn'
ode stream could be transformed INTO
kinetic energy. Radiant matter was
the term used by Crookes to describe
the highly rarefied gas. or ultra CASE
GUS matter" which he found to pro-
duce certain peculiar mechanical ana
luminous effects when q charge OF nign
potential electricity was passed
through 1t.
AS with all new thoughts. the IDEA
was fercely attacked by many OF the
scientific men of the time, who strenu-
ously argued against 1t and endeavored
to prove that both the theory and the
demonstrations amounted to nothing.
But few choice spirits pressed on
Lenard demonstrated that the CATH
ode stream could be detected OUTSIDE
the tube as well as within 1t and that
it could be detected or attracted BY
a magnet. A professor of physics In
the University of Wurzburg. IN Bar
varia. w. X. Roentgen, noted IN 1886
that substances such as potassium
platinocyanide became luminous when
brought near to a tube exhausted to .
vacuum so that the glass was brightly
phosphorescent. About this time also
he noticed that a large number Of pho
tographic plates placed within range
of a Crookes tube with which he was
experimenting were logged, although
they were simply protected from light
by the usual light-tight plate holders.
and he began to suspect a connection
between the two phenomena. A few
more experiments and the idea crystal
lized-he viewed his own bones
through the flesh of his hand and
knowledge of the new ray was born
November s, 1895.
Because the ray which produced
fluorescence showed him the bones In
the living human body, affected photo
graphic plates while inclosed In light
tight boxes and could not be reflect
ed, refracted nor DETECTED by q mag
net, Roentgen knew that he had dis
covered a new and unbroken ray and
he therefore called it the X-ray.
1t may be asked how 1t L. possible
to distinguish between such radiations
Of different wave lengths This is
achieved through demonstrating BY
means of photography, or q huorescent
screen, or the electroscope, Us 'pepe-
trating power" or hardness" Of the
short wave emanations after travers-
ing various thicknesses Of q medium
which absorbs X-rays. such as, for ex-
ample, aluminium. The shorter the
wave length the harder" the ray,
and the harder" the ray the greater
Its penetrating power. Soddy has dem.
the penetration Of one-half
inch steel. This discovery Of the COM
plex character Of the x-ray tube ema-
nations and those from radiant sub
stances in general created the need
Of a system for designating the differ
ent rays, and they have therefore been
named alpha, beta, gamma from the
Greek alphabet corresponding with
Dur a, b and c.
The original X-ray tube shot the
rays from the cathode directly against
The glass at the opposite end; subse-
luently q metal target known as the
was introduced to re-
,eive the rays, but the bombardment
rom the stream Of corpuscles or cleo
IRONS was so intense that the target
was soon raised to white heat. and
{ would become necessary to stop the
action. For these and other reasons
which we win discover later radium
with its gamma rays seemed to offer
certain advantages over the X-ray
ube. but recently Dessauer Of Frank
has perfected tube BY
which he can produce rays practically
IDENTICAL with the gamma ray from
'adium or mesothorium. the ratio Of
hardness being as to IL. These
were obtained by employing .
special and highly efficient water cool
ne device in the anti-cathode.
md apparently In the most intense
~ - A}01zk