Sept., 1905.] 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



219 



especially were observed to produce this effect, and 

 muscle appeared to act more powerfully in proportion 

 as it more strongly contracted. The effect was not 

 due to heating of the screen, which would also tend to 

 increase the phosphorescence, for means were taken 

 to guard against this. M. Charpentier was led to the 

 conclusion that the human body itself emitted N-rays. 

 Further experiments seemed to show that from the 

 frog and other animals N-rays were sent out. The 

 portions of the body rich in nerves especially mani- 

 fested this peculiar influence, and brightening of the 

 phosphorescent screen was observed when such por- 

 tions of a living organism were brought up to it. The 

 compression of a nerve noticeably increased its power 

 of vivifying the brightness of a glowing screen. Cer- 

 tain portions of the brain were especially active in 

 giving out N-rays, and these portions could be localised 

 on screens by the increased brightness which thev pro- 

 duced. The behaviour of these radiations seemed to 

 vary, and it was thought that the effects were due to 

 rays which differed somewhat amongst themselves. 

 The rays coming from nerve and brain were found to 

 be stopped by a thin sheet of aluminium, while those 

 proceeding from the heart, the diaphragm, and various 

 muscles passed readily through aluminium and mani- 

 fested their effects beyond the interruption. 



Meanwhile M. Blondlot had been continuing his in- 

 vestigations, and various strange results were obtained. 

 On examining still further the effect of compression he 

 found that a large number of different substances 

 acquired through pressure upon them the power of 

 emitting the rays. Pieces of wood, glass, and 

 caoutchouc behaved in this way. During compression 

 they became sources of N-rays and increased the faint 

 phosphorescence of a calcium sulphide screen. They 

 also appeared to act directly on the retina (which is the 

 result of the emission of N-rays), and caused the action 

 of light upon it to be intensified. Thus, when the ob- 

 server looked upon the face of a clock in a partly 

 darkened room, which was so dimly lit that the clock- 

 face was scarcely visible, and then bent a cane near 

 his eyes, the compression of the cane had such an effect 

 on his retina that the clock-face became clearly visible 

 and the figures could be read. 



Compressed glass had the same effect. These 

 phenomena were not instantaneous; time was required 

 for the effects to be observed. Bodies which were in 

 a state of internal constraint were sources of N-rays. 

 Tempered steel, hard-hammered brass, and crystalline 

 sulphur were found to be permanent sources of these 

 rays. A file or a tempered knife-blade acted like the 

 compressed cane in brightening a clock-face in a dark 

 room or in strengthening phosphorescence in a sheet 

 of suitable material already e.\citcd. This emission of 

 these mysterious rays apparently lasted for an inde- 

 finitely long time. A tempered' knife-blade from an 

 ancient Gallo-Roman tomb, as well as other similar 

 ancient objects, behaved just as did a recently-made 

 knife-blade. They emitted rays. The ravs thus got 

 in so remarkable a way were analogous to those of 

 light. Spectra could be got, and the rays were cap- 

 able of reflection, refraction, and polarisation, as are 

 those of light. The energy thus appearing M. Blond- 

 lot considered was furnished by the potential enerev 

 which corre.sponds to the state of constraint of tem- 

 pered steel. 



fOur readers are doubtless aware that many experi- 

 menters have quite failed to obtain similar results. - 



Flint Implements 

 Fovmd by Accident. 



By VV. G. Clarke. 

 Many finds of Neolithic flint implements are in the 

 nature of a surprise, as the following instances will 

 suffice to prove. A Methwold farmer walking along 

 the edge of one of his fields was attracted by a gleam 

 of white at the foot of the hedgerow. Investigation 

 disclosed a polished axe, curiously enough the only 

 implement ever found on the farm. In this instance 

 the finder knew what his discovery was, but a labourer 

 at Flegg Burgh, Norfolk, was not so fortunate. He 

 was ploughing and uncovered three axes lying side by 

 side — two of polished white flint and one of chipped 

 black flint. Thinking there was something uncanny 

 about them, he kept the flints for a year to see if they 

 would grow. As they did not, he made inquiries, and 

 eventually found a purchaser. Numerous implements 

 have been found projecting from earthen boundary 

 banks. Such was the case with a fine axe firmly em- 

 bedded in a roadside bank between Weeting and 

 Brandon, and pulled out by a woodman struck by its 

 unusual shape. Even more curious was an instance 

 which occurred near Thetford. In the footpath leading 

 to a gamekeeper's house there was a white stone, level 

 with the surface and trodden upon by almost every 

 passer-by. One severe winter it became loosened by 

 frost, was kicked up by the gamekeeper stumbling 

 against it, and found to be a white flint axe of the 

 Cissbury type. As an example of a remarkable 

 coincidence the following is noteworthy. Three men 

 were walking over a heath in North-West Suffolk. 

 They were not searching for flint implements, but the 

 two outside men stooped down simultaneously and 

 each picked up a perfect arrow-head. Even more 

 strange is the history of the finding of the finest 

 Neolithic axe yet recorded from East Suffolk. Be- 

 tween Carlton Colville and Kirkley, a railway line 

 only used for goods traffic passes through a cutting. 

 Abutting on this at one time was the playing field of a 

 local school. One day as the boys were playing, a 

 football was kicked into the cutting, and when the 

 headmaster jumped over the fence after it he dislodged 

 a big stone, which rolled down the slope. Its shape 

 attracted attention, and he found that he had un- 

 wittingly unearthed a treasure. On one occasion the 

 writer was searching the sides of a pit when suddenly 

 a number of wasps came from a hole. Quickly 

 stepping down the slope he disturbed a glisteninp- piece 

 of flint which proved to be a one-tanged lance-head of 

 most beautiful workmanship. Many good implements 

 have been found on stone-heaps. Some years ago Mr. 

 E. T. Pengelly visited Norwich to give a lecture on 

 Kent's Cavern. Prior to the meeting he had a short 

 ramble, and from a stone-heap near Old Lakenhnm 

 Church picked up a polished axe. .Somewhat similar 

 was the case of a labouring man at West Harling, who 

 noticed a golden-coloured stone on a heap which had 

 been collected from a field. He removed it, and it was 

 seen to be a double-headed axe of yellow flint, magni- 

 ficently chipped, and so thin as to be almost trans- 

 parent; in fact, one of the best known English speci- 

 mens. Numerous other examples could be given, but 

 these are sufficient to prove that all Neolithic flint im- 

 plements are not found as the result of systematic 

 search, and that an element of chance enters into the 

 discovery of some of the very best examples. 



