paying duty on them.

The senders had had no idea that the X rays would be used on the
packages, and had arranged them so that on opening they would appear to
contain nothing dutiable.

One basket was labelled fruit. Had it been opened in the ordinary way
the officers would have found nothing but apricots and plums, unless
they went to the trouble of emptying the whole basket out--a thing that
is seldom done. When the X rays got to work on this packet a pair of
patent-leather shoes was revealed, hidden away amongst the fruit.

Another bundle was labelled, "Specimens of clothing--without value."

No sooner was it held before the X rays than it was seen that a quantity
of cigarettes and English matches were rolled away inside the linen.

All this was found out without so much as breaking a seal or untying a
string.

At the same time that the news of this excellent use for the X ray
reached us, we observed statements from several prominent doctors and
electricians, warning people of the danger of using this wonderful light
without a proper knowledge of its properties.

It seems that under certain circumstances the X ray is capable of
inflicting a very serious wound. It acts in the same way as fire does,
and burns the skin so severely that it is a very long time in healing.

Nikola Tesla, the great electrician, says, however, that this trouble