The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-27
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HASKIN, Director.
Washington, d. G..
SEEING THRU PEOPLE.

that question. Criminals seeking to
conceal their identity, women wiShing
to appear younger than they are Chat
is all women past 20), young couples
seeking marriage licenses. men SEEK
ing jobs, have all made a practice of
claiming what ever age seemed most
convenient and not too obviously be-
lied by their looks Young boys want
ing to be soldiers and sailors claim to
be older than they are. Professional
athletes frequently claim to be
younger. The list might be length
ened indefinitely.
Well, science has found a new age
test. which will make it much harder
for anyone, who can be subjected to
an investigation, to conceal his age
This scientific test was first used quite
recently in connection with Chinese
immigration. According to the law,
Chinese fathers in this country may
bring in sons under 81. Now a China
mans age is the hardest thing in the
world for an occidental to guess. The
Chinese face is changing
mask. A Chinaman of 20 often looks
almost like one of 40. So that a horde
of sons claiming to be under 21 were
pouring into this country, and no one
could successfully dispute the claim
until the x-ray was turned upon the
problem.
planned that age can be determined to
a considerable extent by looking at
the bones of the individual with the
x-ray.
The doctor added that x-rays might
be used to advantage in other connec-
tions to determine age. Fer instance,
he suggested that it might be en-
ployed in issuing marriage licenses
when the couple appears to be of I'M
certain maturity. And if women ever
become so eager to vote that they
claim to be of age before they really
are, it might be used to test their
claims
Dangerous to Handle.
The specialist who told this story
went on to recount some interesting
experiences in his field OF medicine.
The life of an X-ray surgeon has
tragic cast because constant use of the
rays and exposure to them is apt to
result in cancer or terrible burns.
Danger from burns is less now as the
doctors have learned better how to
handle the rays But surgeons still
give their lives, because the powerful
rays that destroy diseased tissue so
thoroly also prey on healthy tissues.
knowledge of the dangers to be
expected however, does not seem to
deter doctors from entering this field
of medicine. Much experimental
work is being conducted to increase
the uses to which X-raFs can be put.
Regardless of themselves, surgeons
are eagerly testing new possibilities of
X-rays to diagnose internal troubles
such as tuberculosis, and to cure dis
eases benefited by the more expensive
radium.
But the surgeons life has it's lighter
side. And this doctor chose to dwell
ON it.
IT have learned to tell a married
woman from a single one" he said.
eli, IL fi,ag7f
comes into my office to have X-ray
pictures made of her teeth, have to
pose her. 1t is important that the
head be tilted exactly. And to get
! this proper angle, I must take the
head in nay hands and turn it. Single
women have stiff necks. Married
women are very pliable." '
This principle of physiology, he In
sists, he has tested so many times that
it is well proved. There are few eX-
ceptions. School teachers have the
stiffest necks, even when married, If
have a tendency to change the posi-
ton of the head a trifle after being
fixed, the doctor has found.
\The other day he met an exception
at the other extreme. A woman pa
tiept had so responsive a neck and re-
NAMED in place so perfectly that the
doctor looked down at her hand to
confirm his deduction that she was
married. To his surprise she wore no
rings. He told her about his little eX
periments and explained that she was
a very unusual type. She laughed and
said that she was an artist. She knew
what he wanted, because she was used
to posing models.
There is only one amusing thing
about having an X-ray picture taken
of a stomach, and that is the penny.
In taking such a picture it is necessary
to LOCATE and mark the individuals
stomach exactly before the plate can
| be made. The position of the stomach
varies in different persons, and for a
guide a penny is sometimes fastened
on the body with a bit of adhesive.
Occasionally the doctor will forget to
remove this apparatus, and there are
some interesting reactions.
k The Mysterious Penny.
One man wrote back to the doctor
| to say that the penny had come off.
He added that he had worn it two
weeks and it had done him no good
whatever. Another patient, a woman,
| returned the coin in some embarrasS-
ment believing that she had some
! how taken a coin that did not belong
| to her. She explained that the doctor
would no doubt be as surprised as she
was to know that a penny had in some
mysterious way got attached to her.
! She supposed it must have happened
at the hospital. and as she was sure
it did not belong to her she wished to
| retarn it.
X-rays are now recognized as a sue
| cessful means of removing tonsils and
| of treating goiter and diseased tissues
| in the nose and throat. Before this
method was put into use there was al
ways difficulty in getting the immi-
grant mother to have her child oper-
ated on for diseased tonsiIs.
| Understanding no English, and
| alarmed by the explanations of in
Iterpreters, the mother was fearful that
| her child's throat was to be cut. The
promise that her sons health was to
| be improved by an operation per-
| formed at the expense of the city did
not reassure her.
With the X-ray such cases are being
handled easily. The rays are palm
less. In fact, any one who did not see
1.-THE apparatus would not know treat