The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-09-16
A New Surgical Lamp.

One of the newest adaptations OF cleo
trio Examinations is in the shape of
very small lantern, which can be intro
duced into the mouth. throat. and in
some cases. the stomach for the purpose
of aiding surgical and dental operations
which cannot be carried on without
light and for which it has been extremely
difficult heretofore to obtain light by
mirrors or other means. Experiments
have been making for some years to
perfect apparatus of this kind Since
| 1881 Z. L. Star, an expert in electrical
science, has been working at intervals
upon minute electrical lamps, and at
last succeeded in getting highly salts
/ factory results. Patents have been OBJ
tanned. The instrument has been crit
ically examined by dentists and surgeons
and has already been used in practice.
The lamp primarily consists OF deli
cate glass bulb, from which the air has
been withdrawn and as nearly perfect
vacuum created as possible. The bulb
varies in shape, being spheroidal, fiat
and compass-shaped, and also cylindri-
4 cal with conical termination. Through
the thin wallsof the lantern run the con-
/ Quoting wires, connected by carbon
arc, on which the electricity centres,
and which thus become the place of light.
The glass lantern is very small, the
cylindrical shaped being scarcely half
an inch in length, and with diameter
not nearly so great as that of an ordi-
nary leadpencil. The compass-shaped
lamp is about one-quarter of an inch
i thick, and has diameter OF an inch,
while the spheroidal seems scarcely
larger than good sized pea. The lamp
is attached to handle, from seven to
nine inches long, and about half an inch
thick, through which run the wires con-
Meeting with the battery. The handle
and the lamp can be separated, and thus
but one handle is necessary for use with
!: the different forms of the lamps. The
intensity of the power, and hence the
brilliancy of the arc of light, can be reg
ulated by moving along the handle g
ring which connects with the wires. The
; handle has several joints and its position:
can be arranged in almost any way sc
as to adapt it to the shape of the cavity
which it is proposed to illuminate. Mir
rors can also besfastened to the lamp anC
light reflected to places where the lamp
cannot be introduced. To prevent the
too great diffusion of light and the radi
! ! alton of heat, the lamp may be partially
i covered with hard rubber or gutta
percha case.
: When the lamp is placed in the moutl
: iof q patient every portion of the throat
: even to the lower parts, and every reces
y of the upper places can be plainly seen
: This will greatly facilitate the work 0
= surgery and dentistry, and enable al
operator to conceive a much NOR
l., thorough diagnosis of a case than tn
81
: known. Placed behind the teeth, tn
itnense light.renderS not only the teeth
{ but even the gum above, highly tran
sparent If the teeth are good and III
II decayed, no lines will be visible-but tn
presence of filling or of the mere b'
% ginning of decay may at once be seer
When the lamp is placed within tn
- mouth and the lips are closed, the entu
u, front structure of the mouth is brougl
J to view. The bone and tooth forms
Y tons are easily discoverable, and eve
Il the interior of the nasal passages. l
, the same way the instrument is OF greG
III value in the treatment of obstetric
7 disease, and in studies of the stomach
d. No unpleasant sensations are expe
p fenced by patients, even in cases OF pr'
/ tracted use, no other effect being motto
able than that which follows the drinl
le ing of n hot cup OF coffee. The Difficult
y les in bringing this application of II
"a electric light to practical use were d.
IL principally to the fact that none OF II
electrical manufacturing companies
d America make the right kind of lam
= Mr. Starr tried them. all, and not gettiT
Z. what he wanted in the very best shap
y was compelled to go to Europe. Mo
q than a score of different lamps, carbon
70 and means OF conveying power had to
!, tried before the best was found.-Phil
~ deiphia Press.
IN = - ~ -.