Df.cexibkb 18, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



rsr 



test. "When there was the least disagi-ee- 

 ment, the tests were repeated a sufBcient 

 number of times until a unanimous agree- 

 ment was arrived at. 



10. The Roentgen rays have been used 

 with great success to locate fractures, mis- 

 growths, deformities and abscesses in the 

 bony processes ; but as far as we are aware, 

 little success has attended efforts to locate 

 ruptures, growths, or peculiarities of the 

 veins, intestines, etc., by this means. There 

 seems a possibility, however, that if a 

 highly fluorescent or phosphorescent sub- 

 stance could be injected into the veins, the 

 stomach or the intestines, it would be feas- 

 ible to locate lesions, growths and other 

 peculiarities of these organs ; possiblj^ also 

 to locate accretions and kidney or bladder 

 concretions, especially calcareous, as well 

 as, possibly, peculiarities in the structure 

 of the heart and other organs. This it 

 might be practicable to do by means of 

 inert but phosphorescing materials in solu- 

 tion given in the food, or injected into the 

 stomach or intestines when they are quite 

 empty. It might be that a nearer location 

 could be effected in the organs desired to be 

 examined, if impalpable powders be given 

 with the food. It it were possible to inject 

 such a substance into the blood, the entire 

 vein structure of the body might be rend- 

 ered visible as well as the bony part. It 

 seems not unlikely that such an active 

 agent as radium or ultra-violet light may 

 yet be found a great accessory in diagnosis 

 and autopsies, as they have given promise 

 of marvelous curative values in certain dis- 

 eases.* 



11. The final part of the work planned 

 was an investigation of the influence of 

 cathode rays upon gems and the gem ma- 

 terial of these collectioni?. The method 

 utilized in the cla.s.sical investigations of 



• After presenting this paper we were informed 

 that Dr. Morton and Mr. W. .J. Ilaniner have 

 investigations along these lines now in progress. 



Becquerel, Crookes and de Boisbaudran, on 

 the fluorescence and phosphorescence of a 

 number of substances, especially alumina 

 and the rare earth.s, in vacuo, and spectro- 

 .scopic examination of the light emitted 

 therefrom, otters possibly an answer to 

 questions as to the nature of such sub- 

 stances as give tift'anyite its unique prop- 

 erties, for example. Small amounts may 

 be used; the destruction of such vahiable 

 gems in chemical analysis being out of the 

 question. The time at our disposal having 

 been utilized in securing the observations 

 briefl}' outlined above, we were forced to 

 discontinue the research for a time, al- 

 though a number of Crookes' tubes have 

 been charged with material and exhausted. 

 We hope to complete that phase of the un- 

 dertaking, but confess, from what has been 

 indicated above, that things have been seen 

 that shine like a 'pillar of fire by night' 

 and beckon us on. 



12. From the smnmai'ized observations 

 on minerals related above, it appears that 

 there are evidently two properties recog- 

 nizable—radio-activity and a property that 

 responds to this activity. It is hence seen 

 that we have two classes of bodies — radio- 

 active, and those that are affected by radio- 

 activity; and that these groups may be 

 again divided into several minor divisions. 



We seem to find here an analogy to cer- 

 tain well-known facts in electricity and 

 magnetism ; some bodies that are active and 

 others that are acted upon in several dif- 

 ferent forms, which are evidently closely 

 related, and yet are distinct in their modes 

 of action. We are privileged, therefore, 

 to offer for mineral .substances a 



TENTATIVE CLASSIFICATION. 



Those minerals: 



1. Not responding to radium, ultra-violet 

 or Roentgen rays. 



2. Re.sponding to radium only. 



