ROENTGEN RAY DETECTIVES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16923, 23 December 1922, Page 15

ROENTGEN RAY DETECTIVES.

“There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not he known.” So said Jesus of Nazareth; giving His authority to the same thought expressed bv Horace. Time will bring to light whatever is hidden ” ; a thought also familiay ir the old saying “ murder will out ” But in these days it will scarcely do to wait the slow processes of time inexorable though they may he. The increasing cunning of criminals, aided by the prostitution of science to the:r ends, calls for corresponding ingenuity on the part of the officers of the Jaw. So it has come to pass that the X-rav ot Roentgen lias been mustered into the detective service. This interesting application was recently explained by Dr Bur-key at the Institute for State Medicine of Berlin at the seance of the Forensic Medical Society. Ns the Roentgen rav normoaio* the counterfeited diamonds with more diffi eulty than the genuine ones, the latter give a brighter picture than the firmer. On the contrary, genuine and false pearls are affected in the opposite way. AA’ith tho aid of a Roentgen rav examination adulterated flour can he distinguished from pure flour, as H. substances added for the increase of 1 weight throw stronger shadows. in the same way burned bones can ho identified i:i ashe« • otherwise und* cove cable lesions and I’orH .o bodies can he ascertained withoul destroying ih* objects of investigation: and apparent. 1 insignificant peculiarities am! chances in the human body ran h' made risible, so as to get a clue to « rimes.