Evening star., 1922-03-02
=, The Stars Week End Fiction
THE DEADLY TUBE
Complete in Three Installments
By Arthur B. Reeve

this suit goes against you. one Of
the most brilliant men of science in
| America will be ruined, Now, hav-
ing said this much. let me ask you
to describe just exactly what treat
| ments you gave Mrs. Close"
The doctor led US into his X-ray
room adjoining. A number of X-ray
tubes were neatly put away in a
great glass case, and at "ns end
| Of the room was an operating table
with an A-ray apparatus suspended
| over it. glance at the rom
| not exaggerated.
How many treatments did you
give Mrs. Closer" asked Kennedy.
Not over a dozen, I should say"
replied Gregory. Il have record of
them and the dates. which I will
give you presently. Certainly. they
were. were not numerous enough 3r fre-
dermatitis such as she has. Besides.
look here. have. an apparatus
which for safety to the patient has
few. equals in the country. THIS big
lead-glass bowl, which is placed over
| my X-ray tube when IN use, cuts off
actly where they are needed"
He switched on the electric cur
| rent. and the apparatus began to
sputter. The pungent odor of ozone
L }AEOH the cicCliTC UlSCndTS0 nlleU ln0
room; Through the lead-glass bowl
I could see the X-ray tube inside suf-
fused with its peculiar, yellowish
green light, divided into two hemi-
| spheres Of different shades. That. I
knew. was wa, the cathode ray; not the
streams outside the tube. is invisible
to the human eye. The doctor placed
In our hands a couple Of microscopes,
an apparatus by which X-rays can be
detected. 1t consists simply of a
closed box with an opening to which
the eyes are placed. The opposite
end of the box is a piece Of board
| coated with a salt such as platino-
barium cyanide. When the X-ray
strikes this salt 1t makes it glow. or
A-ray tube and the Horoscope casts
| shadows according to the density of
the parts which the X-rays penetrate.
With the lead-glass bowl removed
the X-ray tube sent forth its won
the back of the microscope glow with
light. I could see the bones of my
fingers as held them up between
the X-ray tube and the microscope
But with the lead.:glass bowl in po-
was simply black box into which I
looked and saw nothing. So very
little Of the radiationi escaped from
the bowl that 1T was negligible-ex-
cept at one point where there was an
opening in the bottom Of the bowl to
allow the rays to pass freely through
exactly on the spot on the patient
where they were to be used.
"The dermatitis. they say, has ap-
peared all over her body. particular
ly on her head and shoulders" added
DR.. Gregory. Now I have shown
you my apparatus to impress on you
how impossible it would have been
for her to contract it from her treat
ments here. I've made thousands of
exposures with never an X-ray burn
self, I'm as careful as I can be, but
you can see am under the rays very
often, while the patient Is only under
! them once in a while"
To illustrate his care he pointed out
to us a cabinet directly back Of the
operating table. lined with thick
sheets of lead. From this cabinet
he conducted most Of his treatments
! as far as possible. A little peephole
e1abled him to see the patient and
rangement of mirrors and a fiuor-
escent screen enabled him to see ex-
actly what the X-rays were disclos-
ing. without his leaving the lead
lined cabinet.
81 can think Of no more perfect pro-
! lection for either patient or oper-
ator,' said Kennedy. admiringly. "By
the way, did Mrs. Close come alone?"
NO, the first time Mr.. Close came
with her. After that. she came with
her French maid"
The next day we paid a visit to Mrs
Close herself at the private hospital.
Kennedy had been casting about in
his mind for an excuse to see her.
| and l had suggested that we go as
reporters from the Star Fortunate
ly. after sending up my card on which
had written Craig's name we were
at length allowed to go up to her
room.
We found the patient reclining in an
| easy chair, swathed in bandages. a
wreck Of her former self. 1 felt the
| tragedy keenly. All that social posi-
| tion and beauty had meant to her
had been suddenly blasted.
You will pardon my presumption"
began Craig. but, Mrs. Close, as
sure you that I am actuated by the
as: best OF -;l motives. e. w represent the
isn't it terrible enough that
should suffer So" she interrupted,
too?"
Il beg your pardon, Mrs. Close"
said Craig, "but you must be aware
that the news of your suit Of DR..
Gregory has now become public prop
erty. couldn't stop the Star. much
about it. But can and will do this,
| Mrs. Close. I will see that justice is
done to you and all others concerned.
Believe me, I am not here as a yellow
| journalist to make newspaper copy
out of your misfortune. I am here
to get at the truth sympathetically.
incidentally. I may be able to render
! you a service, too"
You can render me no service ex-
1 cant to eXnadifa fha suit q ai.,a that