Tuesday 29 June 2010

'X' is for 'X-ray' and 'X marks the spot' - abc-Wednesday, Round 6 - 'X' / Alphabe-Thursday -'X'

Roentgen's photo of Albert von Koelliker's
hand from January 23rd, 1896.




It is Tuesday, June 29th and both Mrs. Denise Nesbitt's abc-Wednesday and Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday have the letter 'X' as this week's assignment. My first X-word is X-ray. Since here is a shortage of X-words, I suspect that many participants will choose this word as a solution to this challenge. I choose the word X-ray with mixed feelings, because it is an area of study for which I have absolutely no prerequisites. I was rotten in school when it came to the subject Physics. It will be interesting to see how others present their X-words!
But thanks to Wikipedia, maybe I will be able to get through this alright.


If I were writing this post in Swedish, the subjects of rays used to make plates showing the insides of our bodies, would not belong to the X-words, but rather the R-words, as the Swedish language follows the German usage of the term 'Roentgen-picture' after Wilhelm Roentgen. Wikipedia explains here:

German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen is usually credited as the discoverer of X-rays because he was the first to systematically study them, though he is not the first to have observed their effects. He is also the one who gave them the name "X-rays", though many referred to these as "Roentgen rays" for several decades after their discovery.

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X-ray pictures are now standard procedure for many medical emergencies such as suspected broken bones, and are also an indispensable tool for dentists, who need to see what the roots of teeth look like.

I usually try to find a personal angle to my alphabet-word-stories, but this one is in many way a very difficult assignment. I have tried to find a small x-ray-picture of my teeth, but cannot locate it here at home. So there will not be any illustration here. My maternal grandfather was a dentist. When I was about eight years old, he told me about the uses and the dangers of X-rays, showing his equipment, the 'X-ray-gun' itself and the lead shields. It was and still is important for dentists to be careful about not being overly exposed to X-rays.

My mother told me this horrible story (that my grandfather deemed unsuitable for an eight-year-old) about a dentist, in the early days of X-ray-pictures, that had held the film plates in place in the mouths of his patients every day and over-exposed himself so much, that his index finger had to be amputated. This is why the X-ray-film-plates are enclosed in a plastic casing with a flap that you can bite down on. No one needs to hold it in place with a finger.

I am not going to explain the technical part of X-rays. I don't know enough about it. But for those who would like to know more about how X-rays work, please read what Wikipedia has on the subject here.
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My other X-word is 'X marks the spot', the X on treasure-maps that the children draw when they are playing pirates. This is a map that six-year-old Elisabet has just drawn for me.




Happy treasure-hunting!!!

Anna

First Commenter:
Alesa Warcan




Jenny      Matlock

For more X-words at Mrs. Nesbitt's abcWednesday please click here.
For more X-words at Mrs. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday please click here.



34 Comments:

Avo said...

Just as I expected, another excellent alphabet post. You pull these off exceedingly well.
What more could a person axe for, erm... Ask for. ; j

First vikings and now pirates, are you going to have ninjas neXt?. Alas the "N" letter is behind us.

You have a band of hearty looking treasure hunters. : j

Ann said...

X is definitely a tough letter to do but you pulled it off nicely. I wonder just what kind of treasure can be found at that X on the map.

Hildred said...

Thank you for sharing all that information about X-rays, Anna, - I sort of knew about the danger when technicians quickly slide out the door and leave you to be exposed to the X-ray, but hadn't thought what a danger it might be to dentists.

Love the Treasure map!!

anthonynorth said...

Yes, X-rays can be dangerous. An interesting post.

Reader Wil said...

That's a great word for X. In my country we also say "Röntgen stralen".
Thanks for your visit Anna! Next week more digeridoo music with Y for
Yidaki, which also means didgeridoo.

Roger Owen Green said...

always worrry a little when i get x-rays. is that the wedding ring on the x-ray?

i have an x-ray, but it's way too big to scan

Roger Owen Green said...

Oh, nuts, i forgot:
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

♥♥ Willa ♥♥ said...

Hard but fun letter to find. :)
ABC Wednesday

Cheryl said...

I loved all of this. The personal woven in with the historic.

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

Xcellent! As you know by now, I love the research component! And, that treasure map and the map maker are adorable!

Tumblewords: said...

Elisabet's a darling x-drawing treasure mapper! xcellent post!

MaR said...

Very interesting post for X and lovely treasure mapper!!

ABC-Wed: X

Anonymous said...

Strangely enough, someone who doesn't take part in this project mentioned those foot x-ray machines that were regularly used in shoe shops about 40-50 years ago. ...Funny what is deemed OK until we realise otherwise. :)

Rimkogeren said...

Tak for din kommentar :-) Jeg foretrækker pige-katte uden tøj!
Spændende blog og godt x-bidrag.

Gattina said...

What a horrible picture (and story) I prefer by far the second one, lol ! Gattina ABC Team

Rune Eide said...

Jeg må innrømme at X ikke lenger er mulig uten noe "lateral thinking" :-)

Så min pris går til skattekartet!

LisaF said...

Very interesting post. X-rays always look creepy to me! Hope you found some wonderful treasure at the X marks the spot. How could you not with such a cute little treasure map maker? Thanks for stopping by and leaving a nice comment on my post.

Joy said...

Love that old x-ray and your story. I always feel a little 'exposed' when the dentist and his assistant run out of the room leaving me pressing down on the film.
Great to have a cute blog helper drawing you a treasure map.

Debbiedoos said...

Actually Ana you and I are the only ones so far that I have seen do X-ray...yours is much more educational than mine. I get my point across though. Have a good one!

Unknown said...

a lovely lesson! thank you.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Wonderful post and story about X-Ray! I love the picture for X marks the spot! X was hard and you did great!

laterg8r said...

love her pirate map :D

Jenny said...

I love the treasure map picture.

And the amputated finger story was a perfectly shivery part of this link, too!

This was a fun stop on our little journey through Alphabe-Thursday.

Whenever I can see your darling daughter and her artwork it just makes me smile.

Thanks for helping making this week X-stra special!

A+

Unknown said...

I always wondered about the flap on the x-ray. Thanks for all the cool information.

~✽Mumsy✽~ said...

Wonderful information about the x-ray flap, and I have those treasure maps around too :-)

Cynthia said...

Wow! Thanks for enlightening us on the X-ray. That poor dentist!

Personally I think the treasure map is wins the "cutest" X word essay award ;^) Looks like she had fun!

Thanks for stopping by today! Nice to "meet" you and very excited to look around!

Jo said...

eXcellent post! i love the map!

Unknown said...

i didn't do so well in physics either...but i found your lesson fascinating!
love the map...i think i could find that treasure ;)

H said...

I'm afraid I cheated with x and went for the sound rather than the letter :) Good job here. Well done!

The Muse said...

I too was in the X class...
Please drop in when you can.
My X-Post
~Excursion of Xeranthemum~

A Diva's Hammer Prose

Isn't Ms Jenny the best?
I just love reading how we all took the x in different directions.
The sweet little girl with her map, your daughter...priceless!

Christy said...

What a gruesome Xray story - poor guy loosing his finger! It is not something to mess with for sure.

Sarah said...

Oh, I wonder what treasure is to be found where X marks the spot! :-)

lissa said...

I cringed when I hear that dentist story, honesty I scare too easily

anyway, thanks for your visit

cj Schlottman said...

This is a very clever weaving of a thread that is both personal and scientific! My last x-ray was when my hand got caught in my dog's leash and I ended up in the ER because my middle finger had popped at the middle joint and was hanging down at a 90º angle. UGLY x-ray, really ugly.

Well done!

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