Deleterious Effects of X Rays on the Human Body

It seems that the wonderful effects of X rays have not all been learned. One of the newest of these takes the form of a physical effect upon the person who uses powerful X-ray apparatus for comparatively long periods at a time. Mr. H. D. Hawks, a graduate in the class of 1896, of Columbia College, has for the past few weeks been giving exhibitions in the vicinity of New York with an unusually powerful X-ray outfit. Mr. Hawks, during the afternoon and evening of each day for four days, was working around his apparatus for from two to three hours at a time. At the end of four days he was compelled to cease active work, owing to the physical effects of the X rays upon his body. The first thing Mr. Hawks noticed was a drying of the skin, to which he paid no attention, but after awhile it became so painful it was necessary to stop all operations. The hands began to swell and assumed the appearance of having a very deep sunburn. At the end of two weeks the skin all came off the hands. The knuckles were especially affected, they being the sorest part of the hand. Among other effects were the following: The growth of the finger nails was stopped and the hair on the skin that was exposed to the rays all dropped out, especially on the face and sides of the head. The hair at the temples has entirely disappeared, owing to the fact of Mr. Hawks having placed his head in close proximity to the tube to enable spectators to see the bones, of the jaw. The eyes were quite bloodshot and the vision was considerably impaired. The eyelashes began to fall out and the lids to swell. The chest was also burned through the clothing, the burn resembling sunburn. Mr. Hawks's disabilities were such that he was compelled to suspend work for two weeks. He consulted physicians, who treated the case as one of parboiling.

To overcome these effects of the X rays, Mr. Hawks first tried covering his hand with vaseline and then putting a glove on, but the hand was at once burned again, the glove affording no protection whatever. The hand was finally protected by covering it with tin foil. Mr. Hawks coincides with Tesla's belief that X rays are practically minute material particles thrown off from the walls of the tube. The apparatus used was a 10-inch induction coil, manufactured by Ritchie & Son, of Brookline, Mass. The primary circuit was opened and closed by means of a rotary brake mounted on the shaft of a motor, there being 120 breaks a second. The tube used was a focusing tube, made by Emil Greiner, of New York.

Mr. Hawks has made a careful study of his case and has reached the conclusion that no other cause than his exposure to the X rays is responsible for his condition. His personal appearance certainly bears out his statement. The Electrical Review will be glad to hear from any of its readers who have experienced similar effects, even in a lesser degree.