The sun., 1919-07-27

something like ninety pounds, and its
cost was not deemed at all excessive
in view of the valuable service per-
formed by It. We are informed: 1.-The /
method here described will also be val
liable for examination of vessels after
actual sea experience with q view to
detecting any flaws or deteriorations
that may be developing. In connection
with the experimental work necessar-
lily involved in present day ship con-
struction there is a large field of use
fulness for the X-ray in the case of
the electrically welded steel ship as
well as In that of the concrete Ship
Among the many interesting practi-
cal applications OF the X-ray tube Is
that as an aid to pearl fishermen. This
has reached a thoroughly commercial
stage in the waters of Ceylon. Thou
sands Of potentially valuable pearls
have been lost to the world by the I'M
timely opening of the oyster, and, on
the other hand, millions of these BIZ
valves have been needlessly destroyed
IN prying them open for pearls that
aren't there. Accordingly the desire
was long felt that some means should
be perfected by which oysters could be
examined quickly without hurting
them SO that the existence or non
| existence Of pearls inside of them could
be determined and If the developing
gems thus discovered should be of I'M
marketable value then the oysters
| could be replanted, located and given
time to mature their precious contents.
The X-ray tube has supplied the de-
sired medium to this end.
How the apparatus works is thus de-
scribed by the inventor: I'm actual
| working the photographs are brought
wet out Of the process building,
wherein all exposures and develop
ments are made in dark room light,
and with good light and the wet RADIO
I graph practically nothing can escape.
The plant on Ipantivu Island (Ceylon).
with its single tube equipment can
| Photograph up to 400 oysters per min
| ute. So far as concerns the possibility
OF radiographing pearl bearing oysters
on a commercial scale in order to dis
close the contained pearls and without
injury in any way to the oysters my
| process has proved to be a complete
4 success"
| Piercing Natures Secrecy.
The X-ray is helping the scientist
Increasingly month by month. and en-.
| apling him to pierce natures veil of
secrecy In a manner that is of both
| theoretical and material benefit. For
instance, 1t is now possible for the
physicist to study the properties of
| crystals and to learn of the composite
| makeup OF many materials-thus re-
vealing the steps or processes by which
| they have evolved. Similarly, radi-
ography is facilitating the Identification
| OF real and of artificial gems. Perhaps
| we might ordinarily not be disposed to
class coal among the gems, but all of
us are aware that 1t is only one form
| OF carbon. of which the diamond is an
other manifestation. Just the same the
X-ray apparatus is now being used by
the investigator 20 study the internal
composition Of different kinds of coal
and by the streaks or shadows cast
| upon the negative to broadly identify
the nature Of the GOALS constituents.
quite apart from thus disclosing the
| percentage OF ash and carbon, this
Piercing eye of science is opening I'D
TO us vistas that lead far, far back
into the distant past SO that we can
trace some of the succeeding actions
that took place upon the earth's sur
face when that fuel was in the form
irg. Speaking of what this line of
investigation may mean TO the student
OF geology Prof. G. A. Lebour, Arm
strong College, Newcastle. England,
mas said: 1T should be remembered
that each band OF this kind (the
streaks in the photography represents
an interruption in the steady growth
OF a coal seam. due in most cases
probably TO temporary flooding by
water but sometimes to earth move
nents or to such occurrences as dust
or sandstorms." Thus an X-ray pic
tare OF piece OF coal may constitute
graphic meteorological record OF
days thousands of years gone.
photographs have been found OF
distinct help In foiling picture frauds,
IN uncovertng the thefts of "old mas
ters' cloaked for the time being by
misleading coloring and images, and
curing the past five years the X-ray
played prime part In finding out the
contents Of postal matter which, for
good and SUFFICIENT reasons, the au-
thorities wished to reach its destina-
lion without showing any signs what
ever OF having been opened or tam
pered with. Enough has been de-
scrioed OF the manifold and differing
uses to which the X-ray tube can be
put-apart from an aid to medicine--to
snow how simple after all is the pro-
posal to use these penetrating beams
TO show up the character Of masquer-
aiding bombs. Once discovering the
distinctive nature OF these menacing
leontrivances 1t will be quite a simple
matter TO know how quickest and