The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-17
HUNTING FOR THE BULLET.
Disastrous Failure Of a Preliminary
Test in the Garfield Case.
From the Electrical Reviesc.

From, the Electrical ReUietc
An prior'i method of reasoning is liable
to lead to false results, and an example Of
this, such as is frequent in unframed minds,
occurred during the illness of President
Garfield. 1t is considered that the interval
of time has absolved the writer from any
promises Of secrecy which may have been
made.
1t is well known that when there was an
uncertainty as to the position of the bullet
in the body of the President, an eminent
electrician was making Investigations
which might have been followed with sue
cess, had it not been for the distributing
element of the steel bedspring under the
mattress.
An inventor at Baltimore whose work in
matters not pertaining to electricity had
done mucn to alleviate the condition of the
sufferer at the white house, had noticed,
while watching an electric arc light be-
tween his fingers, that the light appeared to
shine through his fingers, and conceived the
idea that if they could concentrate q sufti-
GENTLY powerful electric light upon the sus-
pected portion of the body that the light rays
would penetrate the body and reveal the
presence of the bullet, 1t being falsely as
sumed that as the electric light was without
heat, there would be no sensation as the re-
suit of such search.
Communicating his ideas to some officers
of the navy, they at once gave him all the
assistance which could be placed before
him, and a 10-light Brush dynamo was
arranged to make a single light between a
pair of carbons which were regulated by
hand
A manufacturer of locomotive headlights
made a reflector at very short notice whose
curvature was such as to concentrate the
rays reflected by the mirror upon a point
at a distance of 10 feet from the mirror
that is, the mirror instead of being a para
boloid like the ordinary locomotive mirror,
was an ellpsoid, the position of the light
being one focus of this ellipsoid; and the
light would ali be concentrated at the gen.
eral position in the air corresponding to the
other focus of the ellipsoid.
The work was fastened day and night,
and when done the apparatus gave very
brilliant effect. But before broaching the
subject to the physicians, they decided that
it would be well to make a preliminary
trial, in order that they would be able to
overcome any skepticism on the part Of the
doctors.
Finding in one of the departments a vet
eran of the late war who carried a bullet in
the small of the back and which he re-
garded as an old friend and weather prog
nosticator, this man very readily consented
10 DecOLle Uuo SuDJeCb, anu Uu6 presumption
was that the ray of light would at once dis
close the position of the bullet in the body
of the man.
Disrobing himself to the extent necessary
for the condition of affairs. he stood in the
proper position upon chalk mark which
had been accurately measured on the
floor, and the mirror was pointed in the di-
rection. AS quick as the dynamo current
was switched on, the heat as well as the
light was concentrated upon the exposed
flesh in the back, soaring it with sudden
ness which panied him and surprised all,
causing the unfortunate man to jump high
and yell loudly.
After the matter had been explained to
him and the proper apologies made, it was
decided not to call the attention of the
surgeons to the case. Therefore, this is
probably the first time that any one of the
parties interested has ever made any allu-
sion to it. The effect, however, is like that
referred to in the topical song of the boat
swain in billie Taylor" concerning the
wounds made
"Out on the ice, by the big polar bear,
All on account of Eliza"
for in this case, as in that of the boat
swain, "the scar still is there" although
there is not the same necessity for Gu
phemism respecting its loyalty.