English: Woman having a fluoroscopy of the spine in 1909, using the earliest type of x-ray apparatus. The early Crookesx-ray tube supported by the pole is covered with a lead shield so it only emits a beam toward the patient. It is powered by high voltage electricity generated by the large electrostatic machine in the background, probably a Holtz machine. The doctor holds a fluorescent screen up to her back, a piece of glass painted with a fluorescent chemical such as calcium tungstate or barium platinocyanide, and the x-rays passing through her body cause areas where they strike to fluoresce with a greenish glow. No precautions against radiation exposure are taken, as its dangers were not known at the time.
This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1929, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. See this page for further explanation.
United States
This image might not be in the public domain outside of the United States; this especially applies in the countries and areas that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works, such as Canada, Mainland China (not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland. The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided. See Wikipedia:Public domain and Wikipedia:Copyrights for more details.
Captions
Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents