386 Rollins — Cathode Stream and X-Lit/ht. 



removed ? Surely such a wonderful result was never before 

 accomplished so easily. 



My explanation was simpler. We depend upon gas amalga- 

 mated with the terminals to make an efficient cathode stream 

 in an X-light tube. When the cathode stream no longer forms 

 we have removed too much of this gas. Consider here the 

 experiment with the mercury cathode already mentioned. 



6. The cathode stream particles are the same in every atom. 

 They are the ultimate units of electricity. If true, how 

 explain the experiment mentioned in paragraph 5 ? Why 

 should X-light have stopped ? The terminals of the tube 

 were constantly connected with a generator supplying elec- 

 tricity. They were good conductors. .They were kept 

 charged to a high degree. Is it not simpler to accept the 

 explanation given in paragraph 5 ? 



Consider another experiment. An X-light tube was 

 exhausted by heat and pumping until no gas appeared in the 

 pump. A current was then sent through it, producing X- 

 light. Much gas appeared in the pump. The bubbles con- 

 tinued so long as X-light was produced. When, by continuing 

 the current and pumping to remove the gas thus driven out of 

 the terminals, the X-light died out, the bubbles stopped. 

 While there were bubbles there was a normal cathode stream 

 and X-light. Were the bubbles composed of the ultimate 

 particles of electricity ? Is electricity a gas with a familiar 

 spectrum, or were these bubbles simply a common gas coming 

 out of the terminals, thus forming a cathode stream, as stated 

 in paragraph 5 ? 



7. In the cathode stream only one corpuscle can be detached 

 from an atom, the remainder of the atom being positive. 



According to this theory, when the tube arrived at the con- 

 dition mentioned in paragraphs 5 and 6, that is, when the 

 normal cathode stream no longer formed, the cathode should 

 have been left with a positive charge. The charge was nega- 

 tive. 



8. The particles in the cathode stream are those liberated by 

 ultra-violet light from a charged body, move with the same 

 velocity, have the same charges. If true, we should get 

 X-light from a cathode stream formed by allowing ultra-violet 

 light to fall upon a cathode in an X-light tube connected with 

 a capacity. I have not yet produced sufficient X-light in this 

 easy way to use in my profession. 



9. The particles in the cathode stream are those producing 

 Becquerel light, have the same charges, move with the same 

 velocity. 



If true we could produce X-light from a vacuum tube with 

 a radio-active cathode, without an electric generator. It would 



