X Rays May Not Help

Tesla Says It Is Cruel to Raise the Hopes of the Blind.

The Electrical Review publishes in the current number an exhaustive article by Nikola Tesla on his latest experiments with X rays. In a word, he believes that the rays have active effects on living tissues and instances the fact that they produce a pain in the forehead.

As to hurtful action of the rays on the skin, Tesla says that they are misinterpreted. "These effects," says he, "are not due to the rays themselves, but merely to the ozone generated in contact with the skin. After exposing the hand the skin loses its elasticity, which causes tension and pain, and subsequently inflammation and blistering."

He noticed this powerful action of ozone during an experiment when a person was charged with a potential electric force approximating 1,500,000 volts. Luminous streams broke from all parts of the body, hands, hair, nose and ears. He tried it on himself with no other danger than the possible rupture of a blood vessel if the skin were very dry and nonconducting. He then noted the same after effects on the skin as are now attributed to the X rays.

Referring to the recent sensational reports that the rays would make the blind see, he says: "Is it not cruel to raise such a hope when there is so little ground for It? The rays are demonstrated to be transverse vibrations. If they were, we would have to find means for refracting them to make possible the projection of a sufficiently small image on the retina. As it is, only a shadow of a very small object can be projected."

Tesla reasons that most of the alleged effects of the X rays on the blind have been produced by ordinary light.