WONDERFUL X-RAY. 151 



approach of old age, are avoiding all foods rich in the earth salts, using much 

 fruit, especially juicy, uncooked apples, and by taking daily two or three 

 tumblerfuls of distilled water." 



HISTORY AND WONDERS OF THE X-RAY 



as Here given should be read by everyone who wishes to keep up with 

 the times. Its help in surgery and in locating internal disease is 

 marvelous. 



Genuineness of Precious Stones. No imitation of gems, no mat- 

 ter how perfect in appearance, can possibly pass the scrutiny of the 

 X-ray. 



The X-ray will reveal, accurately, the contents of a trunk or satchel 

 though these be locked and strapped ever so tightly. The would-be 

 smuggler stands no chance of hiding his costly jewels or bric-a-bac 

 from the scrutiny of the customs inspector armed with the X-ray. 



Wonderful X-Ray. 



In 1895 Prof. W. K. Roentgen, of Wurzberg, Germany, made a dis- 

 covery of great importance to the medical world and of especial value 

 in surgery. Shorn of all technical terms the discovery was simply 

 that when an electric light was placed in a Crooke's tube (a big, long 

 glass tube from which most of the air had been exhausted) some of the 

 rays of light would pass through dense matter like clothing or wood or 

 leather or flesh, and so light them up as to make these things trans- 

 parent, that is, it enabled one to see the body through the clothes to 

 see the bones through the flesh. The light which easily penetrated 

 clothing and flesh would not go through metal or bone. Thus a gloved 

 hand exposed between this ray and a camera would produce a photo- 

 graph (or skiagraph as it is called) of only the bones, the buttons on 

 the glove and the rings that chanced to be on the finger. Expose the 

 body, and a skiagraph would appear, showing clearly in the picture 

 the internal bones and any irregular or improper piece of bone or any 

 foreign substance of metal or glass or stone. The intervening flesh or 

 clothing would not appear or appear only as an indefinite transparent 

 haze. This Roentgen ray or as it became generally known, the x-ray, 

 because nobody knew what this peculiar ray of light is, and x is used 

 in mathematics to represent the unknown or the to-be-found-out this 

 sc-ray is rapidly coming into use to determine the presence in the body 

 of sesamoid bones, or of foreign substances such as bullets or pins, 

 needles or other things which may have been accidentally swallowed. 

 It also shows clearly the position of a bone broken or crushed in an 

 accident or otherwise. Shows whether it has been properly set, etc.. 

 and especially shows the exact condition of the joints. 



Diamonds Detected. Another use of the x-ray is in de- 

 termining the genuineness of precious stones. Eacn gem casts its own 

 peculiar shadow when a skiagraph or a?-ray photograph of it is taken. 

 Thus the pure diamond casts a faint translucent shadow. Any imita- 

 tion diamond, no matter how perfectly made, throws a picture whoso 

 difference is at once apparent. It is much darker. No one could m> 

 take it for an instant. 



