THE X IN X-RAYS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17742, 19 April 1923, Page 3

THE X IN X-RAYS.

♦ As is often the case with great scientific discoveries, Rontgen only won the race for immortal fame by a short head. Dr. Clendinnin, of Melbourne (says the London "Daily Graphic") had arrived at practically identical results as Rontgen, without so much as having ever heard his name, and had actually posted notes on them to England when the news of the German 's discovery arrived. When Rontgen, while experimenting with a highly exhausted vacuum tube, found that "certain substances were made luminous, in spite of opaque objects between them and the tube, he called the rays which caused the luminescence "X-rays," X standing, as usual, for the unknown quantity. Since then the X has been solved —at least, there is general agreement that the rays are no different in Nature from those of heat, light, radium, and "wireless." All are ether waves or vibrations, differing intrinsically only in frequency, and X-rays, according to this theory, are able to penetrate opaque substances because they are so short (or of such high frequency) that they are not defracted or reflected as light-rays are. But we still call them rather than Rontgen rays. Few discoveries have had greater consequences. First in medicine and then in industry it enabled us to see' inside things without pulling them to pieces. It contributed largely towards tho formulation of the new theory of matter and atomic structure, and its combination with the spectroscope has given science a wonderful weapon, capable of analysing equally well the constituents of a dye and of a star.