Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-22
New Marvel of the Modern
Age Is Announced by In
Ventor-May Replace Glass
in Windows

LYNN, Mass, May 2O.-Soon the
windows Of your house may be
made of quartz instead Of glass.
Stranger still, you may have a
light in one room that travels invis-
IDLY, bending along it's course, into
another room where you may read
by it.
But of far greater Importance,
fused quartz, one Of the most amaz-
ing substances to be contributed to
science, promises to give access to
ultraviolet rays which are counted
upon to cure almost any disease.
Perfection of used quartz has just
been announced by the General Elec-
trio company laboratories here. DIR.
Edward l.. Berry, assistant director
of the Thomson laboratory, is the
man responsible for its perfection.
To Cure Disease
In an interview with the writer
DR.. Berry explained the properties
of fused quartz, demonstrating its
possibilities with tests that aston
ished.
Clear fused quartz is the only
known material which can be OBJ
tanned in quantity that is transpar-
ent to those rays in the ultraviolet,
so important in the treatment of dis
ease and in maintenance of our gen
era1 health" he declared.
To demonstrate it's transparency
he held a piece of quartz, about the
size of twO-pOund square of butter,
and his hand was almost as visible
under it as though the quartz were
not there.
''It is my belief that many OF our
diseases are caused by our indoor
living" he continued. eff we lived
in the sun there would not be so
many germs. Thus, in our present
mode of living, we have to find
something that will make up for the
loss of sun we suffer. Fused quartz
can go a long way in that direc.
ton.
"a rod of it, one meter long, will
emit at one end about SO per cent
of the total visible light passed into
the other end. In the best grades
of optical glass the percentage is not
more than IS,
Thus, ultra violet rays Of the sun
can be strained through fused quartz
and directed into parts Of the body
hitherto inaccessible"
DR. Berry held a long rod OF
u~artZ, and twisted into 1.-THE
shape of a horseshoe. At one end
/ he flashed a pocket light, and imme
, diately the light was e litted at the
other end, not being visible at al
along the solid but transparent rod
This is possible because of the
purity of the quartz" DIR. Berry ex
! planned. In glass it is the impure
ties that resist heat and light. Quartz
/ merely transmits it, absorbing prac
tically nothing of it."
Because of the purity OF quartz
because Ii ) only negligib'y affected
/ by changing atmosphere, it is ex
pected that it will replace glass
wherevec its superior properties are
important.
1t can stand -- up 10 1000 de.
grees. thus becoming an important
substance for measure standards
/ lenses, thermometers, clock pendu
lums.
its transparency properties vii
bring it to hospitals and into homes
where ultraviolet rays will be ap
piled to cure disc IS.
1t will he used for mirrors, yield
ing more accurate reflection and
not beco.-ing distorted by atmos
/ pheric changes.
1T has been possible for many
years" DR.. Berry declared, Ito make
fused quartz ~ hand labor and in
the ordinary blast flame The art O:
/ making fused quartz dates back Ia
| 1889 when Gaudin in France discoY.
cred its thermal properties"
Experimental Ten Years
However, it was left to DR.. Berry
who has WORKED for ten years with
his experiments. to perfect a process
that would permit # quantity . 20
duction.
Boiled under 1000 degrees heat.
! the quartz IS freed its impurities
under 100000 pounds pressure in
DR.. BeTry's huge electric vacuum
furnace. 1t is then nodded into rods.
tubes and various shapes. the entire
! process taking no more than As min
/ uteS.
The quartz ore is import. from
| Brazil. but DR.. Berry -+ates that
with development of the process he
superior ore will not be necessary.
Cost of producing fused quartz :
yet prohibitively high.
Close to 5000 900 Is believed to
| have been expended in perfecti1g
! the fused quartz
But before we thought Of costs. "
DR.. Berry said, we had to know
whether or not We could produce the