The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-15
THE CAMERA IN SURGERY.
Photography Has Been Found 10
Be a Great Aid TO the
Doctors
Growsomo Pictures In the History
Book OF the Bellevue
Hospital
Ailments Of All Kinds Under the Lens
Mating Pictures OF Dissasss-A
Hospital Photographic.

Every large hospital has a history book,
and la 10 are carefully recorded the histo-
ries Of the important cases. In former
years this was done exclusively by written
descriptions. Recently the mere writing
has come 10 play a very minor part Ia the
history books Photography has become
branch OF surgery and one which Is
growing more important every day. A
great many photographs are now taken by
doctors in private practice. Some Of these
amateurs have become very expert and
would as soon think Of doing without a
medicine chsc as their camera.
Mr. O. O. Mason, the photographer at
Bellevue, was recently asked about this
branch a. his business.
do not persons often object 10 having
their ailments and imperfections reduced
10 paper in this wayf"
"Oh, yes, but not az frequently as one
might think. IT, Is curious. but have Of
ten noted the phase Of human nature which
cnuses the average man or woman TO take
pleasure in being photographed under al
most auy circumstances. ! have seen wO-
men pose before my camera here with the
mir ~ professional beauties. OF course
many Of the patients are beyond feeling
In the matter one way or the other. Those
who are about Go undergo operations which
they realize may be fatal or who are at the
point Of death, as | often take them, natu-
rally pay very little attention to me and
my work, except that In the former case 10
seems to impress them strongly with the
gravity Of the situation and thus enhances
their fears
do you give those who have been cured
any Of the pictures Of themselves
10 d. IA for
them are very frequent. IL is our aim TO
keep he pictures out of anything like gen
Cral circulation, and nobody can obtain
them without giving very good reason,
except, Of course, the medical profession,
whose motives we understand
"What are the most difficult cases 20
photograph" asked the reporter.
"Those whore the interior OF the throat
is involved. II is necessary To put the lens
down into the throat and use a flashlight.
The lens Is, Of course very small, and one
Of the difficulties II to get the focus on just
the right spot. That Is chiefly guesswork,
and the pictures are often unsatisfactory.
/ The lOcomotor diseases, which make IL i'm
possible for the patient to sit still, of course
present difficulties. Certain forms Of skin
disease, too, whose peculadties lie in dis
coloration, are hard 10 take satisfactorily.
/ Particularly in this the case where the col
or Is blue, which makes but little impress
sion on the plates.
Surgical and what may call popular
l photography have many differences. As
an example the ordinary photographer, as
a rule takes only the head and bust on
the whole figure photograph these and
also the most minute sections of the hu-
man body, the pictures OF. which must be
enlarged. This makes necessary n great
many sized lenses.
cone has to be bit Of a doctor in this
work, 4" he resumed. THE surgeons dc
not always explain just what they want
brought out in the picture. l have 10 know
| that %
At this stage Of the conversation young
doctor appeared i'm the doorway. Behind
him were four children, who entered the
room in slow and rather solemn process
sion. Two nurses brought up the rear.
1--WE havc some work for you this morn
ing. Mr. Mason. Let ms see what you can
do i'm the art department with these little
patients
Three-y ear-old Malaehye was the only
one Of tho children who showed DO uneasi-
ness, so it was decided TO take her picture
first. But one wondered why it was nee
essary to take it at all. Her smiling face
aud sturdy little figure suggested nothing
but the rosiest kind OF health as indeed
she has now. The picture was taken Ia
show the great improvement she had made.
Six months ago she was brought 10 the
hospital suffering from curvature of the
spine, and for long time her back was
kept straight by a plaster cast.
The Arabian mother who left her ut the
hospital has never come 10 see her and has
apparently forgotten little Malachye. But
sue does not lack care. She gets rather a
superbundance Of IL, for her sparkling eyes
and little round face are very pretty, and
she is everybody pet.
The photographs in the history books OF
a great hospital like Bellevue show some
strange and grews1ne things. But n great
many Of the life tragedies which they evi
deuce have a happy ending after all. Tho
/ pictures taken before and after the opera
I tiona very often show tina, there have beer
| complete cures, meaning pain allayed and
| cloudod lives frightened
And often the drn,ru T. I'm lighter
vein. People come TO tlc hospital suffer
1 ing only from wounded vanity, cauae ed by
an un-ichtly nose perhaps or some Other
similar dcfect The surgeons can very
/ quickly make "a becoming nose out OF an
unbecumlng one. They raise The bridge
\ and rcudiust the member generally To con
/ form To- the lines ~ beauty. The photo
/ graphs show some remarkable changes in
expression brought about by the improve
mcnt of fLe nasal appeudage. The picture
OF one man, taken before the operation
makes him miscrably Insignificant and
mean locking but you look at the ono
taken after the work has been done. and
I Ill
I because the surgeons have given him a
noso of classic outline.
The lips are subject 20 the same trans
I formation. When they are abnormally
thick. pieces are cut out leugthwise. The
/ lips rcrede fTom their undue prominence,
and "a coarse face becomes "A reasonably re-
fined one. New York World.
EVER testimonial Published 20 behalf q
Hoais saf-apsflla may BE- relied upon a
strictly true.