This is of the hand of
a gentleman resident in New York, who, while on a hunting trip in
England a few months ago, was so unfortunate as to discharge his gun
into his right hand, no less than forty shot lodging in the palm and
fingers. The hand has since healed completely; but the shot remain
in it, the doctors being unable to remove them, because unable to
determine their exact location. The result is that the hand is almost
useless, and often painful.
Hearing of this case, Professor Pupin induced the gentleman to allow
him to attempt a photograph of the hand. He used a Crookes tube. The
distance from the tube to the plate was only five inches, and the hand
lay between. After waiting fifty minutes the plate was examined. Not
only did every bone of the hand show with beautiful distinctness, but
each one of the forty shot was to be seen almost as plainly as if it
lay there on the table; and, most remarkable of all, a number of shot
were seen through the bones of the fingers, showing that the bones
were transparent to the lead.
In making this picture, Professor Pupin excited his tube by means of a
powerful Holtz machine, thus following Dr. Morton in the substitution
of statical electricity for the more common induction coil.
Professor Pupin sees no reason why the whole skeleton of the human
body should not be shown completely in a photograph as soon as
sufficiently powerful bulbs can be obtained.
Pages:
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54