Q: I found an old X-ray machine in the basement of where my wife grew up. I’ve tried many times to find out how it was used. I think it’s from a doctor’s office. Are there any collectors that would be interested in this early medical device?

A: Wilhelm Rontgen discovered X-rays, which he called X-radiation, in 1895. Early X-ray machines had a transformer, capacitor, interrupter, and a spark gap. The spark gap is the space between the two metal balls pictured here. An electric spark passed between the two balls. Early X-ray machines required much higher doses of radiation and much longer exposure than modern machines. Exposure time went from an hour and a half in 1896 to milliseconds today. Vintage X-ray equipment is hard to sell. A medical museum might be interested in it as a donation. There are several in the United States that can be easily located on the internet.