The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-24

What Are the Electricians Doing For 1t? A
Great Deal, According to the Showing.

Great Deal, According to the Showing.
What are the electricians doing for medica
science; That is a question all the doctors
who have come to Washington for the May
meetings seem deeply interested about. In
the array of new medicines and new apph-
ances nothing attracts so much attention as
/ the electrical devices. says the ST. Louis Globe
/ Democrat. There are little electric lights
which can be showed down the throat the
| physician by a pressure of the thumb throws
Il flood of light. Or if the surgeon desires to
work with both hands, there is a chin attach
ment by which the light can be fastened 10
/ the patient and kept burning The little
! storage battery carries strength enough TO
keep the light going eight hours continuously.
1 Some of the doctors who have half swallowed
the bulb and turned on the hight say that the
electricity leaves "a sharp, sour taste But the
ObHging young man who inserts the light in
his own throat every time doctor wants to
see how 1t works says he doesn't taste any
thing.
The electro metal extractors are even more
/ interesting than the bulbs by which the inner
anatomy may be so beautifully illuminated.
A slender probe. long enough 10 go more
than halfway through the body, has an cleo
trlcal attachment 80 charged that the instant
a bit of metal is touched the buzzer" goes off
like a small tire-alarm. The metal may be
iron, steel. lead, silver or gold. Contact with
rigid and flexible The flexible may be tied
in a knot. BY them the exact location of any
metallic substance isinstantly detected. Then
for the extraction there IS a pair of slender
forceps. also electrical. The forceps is inserted
and the moment the jaws close on the metal
be il bullet. PIN. needle or anything else me-
talic, the buzzer announces the fact. Sub
stances a. small as bits of iron filings may be
located aud taken out OF a deep wound.
professional man, after looking over the
curious implements. remarked: With such
tools anybody can be a surgeon"
Of course the variety of batteries for apply
ing the currents of electricity TO patients is
almost endless. There are little batteries put
up in neat morocco cases for the doctor 10
take in his hand as ne takes the rounds.
There are great stationary generators which
require a roOmy corner Of an Office. There
are handles to hold circles which come down
near the head and raise the hair like a small
cyclone, and long pointers by which the cur
rent may be touched TO a nerve or 10 any
affected spot. making the sparks fly.
The doctors generally look rather critically
on the use of the electric current in practice
They say that its merits have yet 10 be deter
mined by experiments. The practitioner can
not prescribe electricity. as he does other treat
ment on general principles. He must feel
his way with each individual patient IN a
course of electricity.
Standing among the electrical devices an
old doctor. with nearly half century of expe-
renee. told of the use he had recently made
IF electricity in a case of sciatic rheumatism.
He did not apply the current TO cure the rheu-
natism, but for a very different purpose. The
current was so applied that 1t would run
along the patients leg. That was the part
.fected All previous treatment had failed
o give relief. AS the current coursed along,
created no unpleasant sensation save in one
particular spot. where il burned so that the
PATIENT screamed out. The spot the doctor |
,uessed was the seat Of all the trouble. He |
pplied hy-blister directly over the spot. |
ii course the skin came Off The doctor put |
N another blister The result, quickly, was |
deep sore which discharged freely for few |
lays. There was immediate relief from the |
heumatsm The sore rapidly healed. The
'atient left his bed and walked. No other
tack has occurred.
You see,' said the doctor. 1.-THE trouble
ias that the sheath OF the nerve had become
ttached TO the nerve. and there was an i'm
edlment of the nerve circulation, and con-
equent rheumatism of the whole limb. The
lectrc current ran along the nerve until it
truck the spot where the sheath interfered.
here it burned. The blistering started the
ore and relieved the interference of the
seath with the nerve Then the whole
-ounle VIA removed. "-Cincipnati CONNER
al Gazette.
A.