The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

Vol. II. No. 8 THE PHONOSCOPE 9 by using a thermopile, which can be kept in operation day and night uninterruptedly, without any supervision. The new Rontgen tubes are characterized by their efficiency and durability. When we consider that a hand or foot requires an exposure of only 20 to 40 seconds, an arm or thigh but 40 to 60 seconds, a thorax \]i to I yz minutes, and a pelvis only 2 to 4 minutes, it is evident that a good Rontgen tube can be used for several dozen pictures before it becomes useless. The times of exposure here given are to be understood as having been obtained with an induction coil yielding a spark of 9^ to n% inches in length and with Schleusner plates unprovided with fluorescent backing. The fluorescent backing used consists of a screen made of carbon leaves and coated upon one side with a uniform layer of calcium tungstate. The screen is placed with its coated side against the emulsion of the photographic plate, and by reason of its fluorescent properties considerably increases the effect of the rays on the plate. By using dry plates coated on both sides and placed between two fluorescent screens, the pelvis of a man of average size can be photographed in 2 minutes, whereas formerly 45 minutes' exposure was required to produce a negative poor in contrast and in definition. It is well known that in photographing the stouter portions of the human body, exposures are required unproportionately long compared with those required for thinner parts. One of the reasons for this phenomenon lies in the fact that Rontgen rays are strongly diffused by all substances, even by the particles of dust in the air. This diffusion is particularly strong in human flesh. Each portion of flesh illuminated by the Rontgen rays in turn illuminates the entire photographic plate, and for this reason photographs of the pelvis are lacking in contrast. In order to avoid this difficulty, only so much of the flesh under treatment should be illuminated by the Rontgen rays as appears absolutely necessary, in order fully to cover the plate. Let us assume the tube to be 23 inches from the plate, then it is evident that at a distance of inches from the tube the leaden screen used would require an aperture but one-half the size of the photographic plate to allow the cone of rays to act on the plate. Max Kohl, according to Dr. Walther, of the government physical laboratory of Hamburg, has made a leaden box which is designed to shut out unnecessary rays. The box is 31^ inches long, ii/j inches high, and has two semicircular recesses to enable a person to be laid comfortably thereunder. The interior surface of the box is completely lined with sheet lead 0^078 inch in thickness. The bottom consists of a heavy level board also covered with sheet lead. By using sheet lead in such abundance, the rays reflected by the operating table are almost entirely excluded. In the cover of theboxis a rectangular opening 15? by 15? inches. Over the opening, corresponding to plates 117 by 15-6 inches and. 15-6 by 19-5 inches in size, leaden screens are laid having openings 5-8 by 7-8 inches square and 7-8 by 97 inches square. In Rontgen tubes of greater power, not only the platinum used, but also the entire tube, sends forth rays which cross the rays coming from the platinum, thus producing negatives lacking in definition. To shut off these rays a second leaden screen is mounted on two supports above the aperture in the first leaden screen. An opening is made in the screen of such size that the cone of rays coming from the platinum shall not be crossed. In photographing with this apparatus, plates coated on both sides, or better still, films placed in a plate-holder between fluorescent screens, should be used. To shut off the rays reflected by the plate-holder, a leaden lining is employed. In order to render the manipulation of Rontgen apparatus as easy as possible for the practical surgeon, Kohl has grouped the various parts on a movable table. This table on its upper portion carries the spark coil, the interrupter, the current regulating devices, and measuring instruments. On the lower platform the storage batteries are carried. The manipulation by means of this arrangement has been considerably simplified. In their practical application Rontgen rays are no longer used exclusively for setting bones or for locating foreign bodies, for it has been determined that they also have a healing effect in cases of lupus — an effect characterized by the production of very smooth scars with but little disfigurement of the features. Recently gout and rheumatism have been treated with Rontgen rays, and the results are very encouraging. Experiments are being made to determine the effect which the rays have on bacteria, but no definite conclusions can as yet be drawn. As a whole, the results obtained since Rontgen first made his brilliant discovery have been very beneficial for suffering humanity. — Illnstrite Zeitung. ©ur Corresponbents Portland, Ore., August 4, 189S. Editor of The Phonoscope : Here we are again after many moons. When The Phonoscope engaged us, at an enormous salary, to write for their magazine we fully intended to embellish its literary quarter with our classic effusions at least once a month, but "since the army broke out" we have been so very busy fighting with Dewey, Shafter, Sampson, Schley and Miles that we could not attend to our literary work, so dropped it altogether, and for three months the readers of your paper have had to worry along without a word from Portland. You have permission to "dock" our salary for May, June and July, and we will start in with August and "whoop it up" for the rest of the year. The three months just passed are probably the dullest of the year, for our business; at least, I have found it so with nearly four years' experience. We are persuaded, however, that here in Portland the "Sound and Sight" business has been as good, or better, than could have been expected. There has not been a day for the three months that there was not three projecting machines running, and some of the time four and six, and they have all seemed to do good business. In June, Grousbeck & Miller opened up just around the corner from us with a projecting machine, ten nickel-in-the-slot picture machines, two phonographs and two graphophones with 500 records. This is the largest outfit ever in Portland, and while they did a good business with their seeing machines, we opine we "put 'em out of business" in the hearing line. On the whole, our business has been good. We have not lost a day since March 3, 1895, have been in about the same locality all the time, and the little 'ole machine with its seventeen (17) tubes has stood by us. We have done a little business in the laboratory. To show you that we are beginning to be somewhat talked about (thanks to The Phonoscope), will say that for the seven days ending July 29, we filled orders for Dawson City, Washington, D. C, Sherman, Texas, a city in New York, and one in the West Indies, and while these are somewhat scattered, yet it is pleasant to be known in many parts of this planet. We have Manila and Hong Kong yet to hear from. Will mention here that we shipped a box of 32 records to Dawson, City, via. express. This, the first shipment via. this line, or I should say lines, for from Dyea it goes through Chilcoot Pass down the lakes, and is carried by four different companies, one of these carrying it only one mile. The goods are for A. Bienkowski, who has but one leg, and he met with bad luck; was in the Chilcoot Pass snow-slide, had his instrument broken, and many records smashed. Bienkowski has pluck enough to wire when he gets to Dawson. Have learned that 50 cents per tune is charged in Dawson, or three (3) for a dollar. Also learned from a gentleman just returned, that one of our records sold recently in Dawson for twenty-five dollars, but then, you know, that is cheap. I must tell you of a freak. Madam A. P. Webster, who carries a talking-machine, and goes by horse and wagon, is certainly a "great American traveler." She gave us a call about two weeks since, while on her way to Seattle. Starting in Mexico with two horses and a wagon, her French maid and the talking-machine, she crossed the deserts in Arizona, Nevada, California and Oregon, landed in Portland in good shape, having traveled 4,934 miles, and left here a few days after for Seattle, 186 miles farther north, where she intends to open business. Mrs. Webster was born in Nantucket, is the widow of a Methodist minister, formerly of Boston. If her talking-machine can talk half as good as Madam, it is a good one. Someone, haven't been able to find out their names, opened at 109 6th Street, the first of this week with some kind of a projecting-machine, the name of which I have not seen in the cyclopedias. The programme reads: "Victorania Parlors," one of their films is : "the Oregon regiment marching down Market Street, 'Frisco, to take transport for Manila," where Dewey did up the Dons. Whoever shall come to Oregon, with a film showing the battleship "Oregon," and the part she took in the destruction of Cevera's fleet off Santiago, can walk out of Oregon quite rich. I just throw this out as a suggestion, free gratis. A few days since Mr. Louis J. Gerson, representing the Columbia Phonograph Company, of New York and Paris, fell in on us, and spent a couple of days in our village. The Columbia Company made no mistake when they sent Mr. Gerson on the road, he "hits the high places" and skips along without a thought for the valleys. Mr. Gerson has recently been transferred from the Philadelphia house to the Chicago district. It seems that Gerson has carte blanche to sell when and where he pleases, invading any and everybody's territory. In the fall he invades Europe, and we shall expect to hear soon after his arrival in "Paree" that he has been "arrested in French." Mr. Albert G. Rockel, also for the Columbia Company, in the San Francisco district, made his advent here about five minutes behind Mr. Gerson. The difference in time is accounted for by the fact that Rockel came by steamer and Gerson by train from San Francisco. Mr. Rockel opened out a talking-machine parlor in the Portland Hotel, where he invited business men of this city, and I understand that he made some of these buy goods. Mr. Rockel spent several days here, then ran along up to Puget Sound, where, I have since learned, he was able to take a record of the Sound. Say ! If old Puget was only alive to hear one of those records we surmise he would crack himself open with a grin. Monroe. NOTICE We call particular attention to an article headed "Prize Contest'' on page 10 of this issue. Read over carefully, and if you wish to compete send in your best violin records at once.