NEW WORK FOR X-RAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20976, 12 September 1931, Page 7 (Supplement)

NEW WORK FOR X-RAYS.

| VALUE TO MUSEUMS.

Some curious information was brought to light in the course of a series of X-ray investigations carried out on mummies at tha Museum of Brooklyn, New York, recently. The work was undertaken at the request of Edward S. Blum, president of the board of trustees of the museum, and the results emphasise the. scientific importance of the X-ray examination of mummies, which discloses their contents without damaging them in any way. Each of the first three mummies X-rayed by : ;/ Mr. H. G. Petsing, educational director of the Westinghouse X-ray Company, showed something of interest. After he had examined the X-ray plan of a boy's head he reported that "death had* been caused by violence, probably." He found that the skull had been fractured, the jaw bone broken, and a tooth knocked out. The injuries indicated that the cause of death was a blow from some weapon such as a club. They were quite different from those that would be brought about by a fall or other common accident. The second mummy examined was that of a woman. Her mummy was normal in all respects —a beautiful specimen of the embalmer's art, in fact —but wrapped close to her head, two small jars, whose existence was previously unsuspected, were revealed by the X-ray picture. Thus, valuable objects concealed in the wrappings may often be discovered by means of the X-ray. "My third mummy was that of a man," states Mr. Petsing. "It. too, seemed normal, but the first picture—which was one taken of the bead—disclosed a most unusual state of affairs. The skull, instead of being placed in the position one would expect to find it, was turned around so that the face pointed downwards. It was completely detached from /the rest of the body, and the lower jaw bone and all but one of the upper teeth were missing. Further pictures showed that most, of the bones were collected in a confused mass in the centre of the body. The ribs, pelvis bones, and arm bones "were all mixed together, while scattered all over were vertebrae, teeth and the small bones of the hands. The two large thigh bones were found crossed at a somewhat lower level, and below them were the rest of the leg bones in approximately their proper positions " This mummy presents a puzzle for Egyptologists. Were the bones in a dry state originally wrapped up in this manner ? This seems to be the case, since no traces of flesh are visible, and it would be difficult to account for tha scattering of the teeth by any rough handling the mummy might have been later subjected to. Also the lower jaw seems definitely missing. But if the embalmers did this particular job, was it a proper procedure on their part, or was it a case of very bad workmanship, now revealed for the first time?" fj

•These investigations suggest that it is always wise to X-ray every mummy before its purchase by a collector, for the simple reason that no mummy may be found in the wrappings. Mummies, like every other article of commerce, are subject to fraudulent practices, and cases are on record where exceptional prices have been paid for mere bundles of rags. X-ray examination is a very cheap insurance against such trickery. CLOCK DRIVEN BY WEATHER. There is said to be only one clock in the world that will go on for ever without the attention of man. It is a clock invented by a Swedish manufacturer, Theodor Dieden, of Carlslund. At first it would seem that the secret of perpetual motion had been discovered. But it is not this. Mr. Dieden has thought of the very ingenious idea of using the energy of a barometer. The aneroid type of barometer, which has a dial and pointer indicating the weather, depends for its Yforking on the movement of a metal box, or a number of boxes, -which expand 'or contract with the pressure of the atmosphere. These boxes are slightly exhausted, and are corrugated on the top and bottom. They are very sensitive to changes in the weight of the atmosphere, and are arranged so that temperature does not influence them. By a very ingenious invention, any movement of the barometer boxes, whether the pressure rises/or falls, is made to force round a ratchet wheel that drives the clock. Changes in the atmospheric conditions are thus made to wind up the clock continually, and as long as weather changes, and the bearings of the clock last out, so long will it continue to tell tho time •without human aid.