The Investigation

After Dr. Roentgen's discovery of "a new kind of ray" on the evening of November 8, 1895, he began an intense investigation to determine its properties and characteristics. He isolated himself in his laboratory and conducted many experiments. The results of these experiments will be reported when he submits a manuscript for publication later this month.

The most intriguing property of the new kind of ray was the ability to penetrate a variety of materials. In one experiment he demonstrated the transparency of materials by placing plates of various metals between the gas discharge tube and a fluorescent screen.

He demonstrated the effect of thickness on transparency by building a step wedge of tinfoil and photographing it with the radiation.

Perhaps the most dramatic demonstration occurred when he placed his hand between the discharge tube and a fluorescent screen to show the capability of imaging the bones within the flesh.

In the Nov. 1, 1895 edition of The X-ray Century we examined the history of gas discharge tubes.

In the Nov. 8, 1895 edition of The X-ray Century we were there when Prof. Roentgen discovered a new kind of ray.

The next edition of The X-ray Century will be published on January 1.