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The mystery
of x-rays
The Discovery of X-Rays
It was nearly midnight on 8th November 1895. The wind was
howling outside, and rain lashed through the trees. What had
just appeared before Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was terrifying. He
had seen his own bones.
This was a sign that invisible rays were being produced in the
tube, crossing the room and hitting the screen, producing the
faint glow. To track the rays he had been putting pieces of card
in their way, but the screen continued to glow whether the
cards were there or not. It was as if the mystery rays were able to
pass straight through them! He then tried to block the rays with
metal... but the pieces of copper and aluminium he used had no
effect!
Dangers of X-Rays
X-Rays emit radiation, which can cause
healthy cells to mutate, causing cancer. Too
much radiation at one body site can cause
skin conditions resembling severe burns or
local cancers. Widely distributed over the
body so that it penetrates much of the blood-
forming marrow, excessive radiation can
cause leukaemia, a form of cancer. That is why
X-ray technicians use very low doses, and
block most of the X-rays with lead.