PROFESSOR ROUTGEN’S DISCOVERY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 24, 26 February 1896, Page 3

PROFESSOR ROUTGEN’S DISCOVERY.

PHOTOGRAPHING THROUGH OPAQUE SUBSTANCES. The latast English mail to hand brings particulars of Professor Routgen’s startling discovery of the means of photo graphing through opaque substances that was mentioned in a recent cablegram. The Vienna correspondent of the London correspondent writes :—A sensational discovery, which, if the reports are confirmed, is likely to be attended by important consequences for physical and medical science, is spoken of in scientific circles here, A new conductor of light has been discovered by Professor Routgen, the well'known physicist at the Wurzburg University. So far, his experiments have resulted m the discovery that light penetrates wood and the flesh of men and animals, without, however, penetrating bones and metals. The professor succeeded in photographing metal weights placed in a shut-up wooden case. The photograph sent to Vienna shows only tke weight, but nothing of the case. Another photograph, of a man’s hand, shows only the bones, while the flesh remains invisible. Professor Routgen’s experiments are conducted in the following way:—Ho takes aso called Crooke pipe —namely; a well pumped-out glass pipe —withan induction current going through it, and by means of the rays which that pipe is emitting, he photographs on ordinary photograph plates. In contrast with the ordinary rays of light, those rays penetrate wooden and organic matter, and other opaque sqbstances, just in the same way as the ordinary rays of light penetrate glass. Experiments were also made in photographing hidden metals with the apparatus shut, and produced equal success. The rays penetrated not only thewooden case containing the metals, but also the cover placed before the plate of the apparatus. The scientific world here is much agitated by the discovery, which it is believed will bo of farreaching importance for many branches of knowledge. Already, in its present stage, it will be an excellent expedient for surgeons, particularly in cases of complicated fractures of limbs, in searching for the bullets of the wounded, etc. The photograph will show not only an exact i. picture of a fracture, or the situation of j a bullet, but spare the patient much ■ manual probing with the sound. A few days later the Vienna cerrespondent again telegraphed as follows:—Professor Routgen’s discovery continues to agitate the scientific world here, and j further experiments are being made. The ( most remarkable feature is that no photo-* graphic apparatus at all is needed to photograph bones or metals bidden in wooden cases. The current of light emitted by Crookes’ pipes does not, during the operation, pass through any lens, but falls direct upon the object to be photographed, behind which is the camera with ordinary photographic paper. Another important feature established at thu experiments is that the rays emitted by Crookes’ pipes are not refracted in the lens, and that they are transmitted in straight instead of undulating lines. Commenting on the discovery, a contemporary observes :—The Crooke’s pipe referred to is apparently one of Mr "William Crookes’ for producing phosphorescence in vacuo. There is no mystery about that, but we learn for the first time that wood and flesh have become invisible in that light. We have stood in Mr. Crookes’ own laboratory lighted by the glow of his phosphorescence tubes, and Mr Crookes was by no means a skeleton, as the “rremaikable scientific discovery” would lead us to expect. We earnestly hope, however, that Professor Routgen has done as the D.G.’s Vieupa correspond dent states, for now we shall be able to gee through the latter gentleman. Later particulars state that the discovery has been made by Professor Routgen while experimenting in the dark with a Crookes’ phosphorescence tube. At the time he had some sensitised photographic paper accidentally lying about, aud on this next day he noticed several lines for which he could not account. He there-

fore continued his expeiiments, and found that not only may a camera be dispended ■with, but that the image ; from the light rays of the Crookes tubes is not obtained if it has to pass through lensess. He asserts that the phosphorescent rays do travel in waves, but in a direct line. The first photograph of a human band, showing only the bones and the rings on the fingers, was ob ainedby the Professor placing his own hand on the wooden case with the prepared paper, and allowing the rays from the Crookes tube to fall directly upen it. Boltzmann, Professor of Physics at Vienna University, declares that the discovery of this “ new light ” will form an epoch in the history of fcieace. He says that there are still cer' t tain ob?oure points that require dealing UP.