The First X-ray Taken at Davidson College
by Eben Hardin, Pender Porter, and Osmond L. Barringer. [1896] 14-0031
In January 1896, Dr. Henry Louis Smith, a physics professor at Davidson College, read about Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen’s discovery of x-rays in an associated press bulletin. He realized that Davidson College possessed the right equipment to repeat Roentgen’s experiments. Dr. Smith told his physics class about Roentgen’s discovery of x-rays, and Smith’s planned experiments with them.
Shortly afterwards, three Davidson juniors, eager to test Smith’s theories, snuck into his lab on the evening of January 12, 1896. Eben Hardin, Pender Porter, and Osmond L. Barringer collected various objects to photograph with the x-ray machine: a cadaver finger (taken from the North Carolina Medical College) stuck with two pins and wearing a ring (borrowed from Barringer’s girlfriend); a rubber covered magnifying glass; a pill box containing two 22 cartridges, one pin, two rings, and six Strychnine pills (commonly used by students at that time to stay awake during finals); and an egg that been emptied and had a button placed inside.
