546 
RONTGKEN RAYS UP-TO-DATE. 
exhibited in action, including one enclosing chemicals which had the 
property of phosphorescing when the electric discharge was stopped. 
The following phenomena had been seen by the lecturer and others 
during a course of experiments, markings in the electrical mollecular 
film clinging to the interior of the tube, similar to the markings on 
the planet Jupiter; a mottled appearance similar to the photographs 
of the photosphere of the sun with a black spot similar in form to a 
sun-spot travelled round the clinging electrical film on interior of tube 
in like manner; on one occasion the tube exhibited practically no 
phosphorescence, but on exposing the head of a subject in front of a 
phosphorescent screen, the whole of the articulation of the skull had 
been seen, and most distinctly, shadows of the soft tissues. A photo¬ 
graph showing the so-called Dura Mater of brain was exhibited, having 
been taken accidentally by the lecturer. Reference was made to the 
importance of conditioning the tube as demonstrated, otherwise 
satisfactory results either on screen or sensitive plate could not be 
obtained. 
During a demonstration of the spectrum on a white screen, it was 
explained that some scientists thought that the X Rays were probably 
intimately related to the ultra violet rays of the spectrum, and an in¬ 
teresting incident, which had occurred the day before at the R.A. 
Institution while adjusting the apparatus for the lecture, was related : 
that Mr. Webster and Major A. J. Abdy had apparently seen the 
shadows of the bones of their hands on the phosphorescent screen 
when exposed to the ultra violet rays of the spectrum. (Some weeks 
after this lecture, by the kindness of Major A. J. Abdy, this experi¬ 
ment was repeated and for a second or two the shadow of bones in the 
palm of the hand were apparently seen on blotting paper prepared with 
eosine). Refraction might deceive the eye as regards the fingers, but 
the faint continuation of the shadows in the palm of the hand seem to 
point to Rays connected with the so-called X Rays. 
Reference was made to the action of the rays on skin, but out of 
260 cases the lecturer had not observed any permanent mischief, out 
of this number three cases only being temporarily affected ; the action 
seemed to be very similar in two cases to severe sunburn, and in one 
case to electrolytic action. It was explained that it was possible to 
detect aneurism of aorta and abnormal condition of heart, also calculus, 
and tubercle in lung with a properly conditioned tube; sarcoma, 
cancerous growths and fibroid tumours had also been diagnosed 
shadowgraphically. 
The rays had also apparently affected beneficially rheumatic and 
neuralgic subjects in ameliorating pain and stiffness; it had also been 
reported that Lupus and Elephantiasis had been cured by the X Rays. 
(Since this report the lecturer had come across a case of apparent 
stoppage of an artificial growth of Typhoid Bacteria). 
An interesting episode was related of a subject brought by Surgeon- 
Major Dodd from the Arsenal just before the lecture; a workman, 
through an accident, had a small piece of blacksmith’s flake iron in his 
arm which could not be detected by ordinary means, placed before a 
