X-RAY FINGER PRINTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 222, 14 June 1920, Page 5

X-RAY FINGER PRINTS

NEW USES FOR RADIUM IN SURGERY. Lecturing at the Royal Insti tuition on "Recent advances in X-ray work," Major G. W. C. Kaye described the development of_ the Coolidge tube, invented in IMS, which has a highly rarefied vacuum and a tungsten spiral as cathodo. This, ho said, 'had revolutionised X-ray research, and would probably become tho main instrument of tho radiological work of the world. Ono of these' tubes was shown,. together with X-ray photographs taken by its means with one-hundredth or a second exposure. These were contrasted with the early examples of radio photography which in 189G required an exposure of 20 minutes. All radiography of the future, the lecturer remarked, would be single impulse ilash work, "practically snapshots." There was a Cater tube, he added, inado "in another country," which was said to be an improvement, and he would have shown specimens but for.- the recent troubles in the Ruhr' district. Certainly that type was more fragile. Some of Major Kayo's war radiographs showed fraotured skulls, bullets embedded in the stall and other parts of the body, and ho also showed slides which had detected tuberculosis in joints and tho travels of a needle which had penetrated a man's.hand. Another interesting picture was that of tho hand of an Egyptian Princess "of ithe Second' Dynasty (about 4500 8.C.) taken through the wrappings of her mummified' remains, showing all the bones with great clearness and a riug on the third finger. Nearly every part of the body could now, he said, be radiographed readily and accurately. , A new mdthod' of taking fingerprints was also described. The hands are cleaned with alcohol and red.lead rubbed over them. Radiographing fliem reveals with extraordinary accuracy the detail of the skin. The lecturer 6aid he understood tho method was before the attention of the Criminal Investigation Department, and ho believed it would replace the old system. Oihor uses to which radiography is boing applied are in tho examination of electric conducting wires for aeroplanes, the heating equipment in a pilot's coat, and tho detection of defects in studded motor tyres. It was likely, the lecturer .observed, that championship golf balls would be radiographed in order tto determine that thoy had a perfeotly symmetrical centre.