The evening times., 1896-11-28
MUSEUM MEN -sKEPT|CAL
They Doubt That the X-Ray Can
Cure Blindness.
MAY ACT AS A sTIMULANT
But Even Then 1t Is Not Likely That
the Patient Could Distinguish
More Than the Difference Be-
tween Light and Darkness-Efff-
cacy of the Ray in Surgery.


The story that Edison has succeeded In
restoring sight by means of the X-ray IL
! not received with either credence or en-
thusiasm at the Army Medical Museum. Dr.
| Gray, one of the museum scientists, has
| beef doing practical work with the cathode
/ ray since the Trst announcement of its
| discovery by Roentgen, so he has good
grounds upon which to base his cpiEions
II have seen some announcement OF
such experiments in the papers. said hr,
! when asked about the latest story Of the
Wizards achievements. "but / did not re-
| gardit as anything more than newspaper
story. i have seen no authoritative an
nouncement from Edison himself and the
thing does not look reasonable on its face.
The report i saw declared that in case Of
atrophy OF the optic nerve sight had been
restored.
Now, it is possible that in n partially
atrophied nerve the action OF the current
might stimulate it some hat so that possi-
bly, a nj nmight distinguish h light from dark
ness: but / do not think there is any per-
manent or practical relief to be looked for.
1.-The office here has not made any ex-
periments in that line, and do not think
we will. IT does not seem to me that there
is anything to be hoped from this"
The Medical Museum has used the X-ray
extensively in surgical diagnosis and has
of work it is declared an invaluable dis
covery. Between twenty-five and thirty
cases have been presented at the labora-
tory and the results in the most of them
have been very gratifying. Fractures and
dislocations of all sorts have been dag
nosed and afterward treated with GER
tainty and success. The best OF the plates
have been saved and make an Interesting
collection.
XRAY. TOLD THE STORY.
One of the most curious cases is that of
a railroad man who had an arm badly frac-
tured some years ago. The break was
almost in the elbow and the bones were
set as well as could be under the circuni
stances and one of them that could not
be other wise retained in place was fastened
with silver screws through the bone itself.
The man now has perfectly good arm,
but he can only bend it a little at the
elbow.
The X-ray was turned on it and showed
up the whole story OF the old fracture.
There were the silver screws still in place,
and there a SO were the bones that had been
snapped and put together almost as they
ought to go.
Almost, but not quite The end Of one of
the bones in the lower arm Overlapped "a
little and stuck into the elbow joint, very
much like the end of a stick thrust in the
hinge OF a door To prevent its closing.
This being the case, and knowing Just
where the trouble lies, 1t will be easy to
open up the flesh, cut off the end OF the
bone and leave the joint free TO bend as it
should. This the doctors intend to do.
STIMULATION BY CURRENT.
To oreturn to the question of the X-ray and
blindness, it may be said that the theory OF
stimulation by the current is in accord with
the belief of Edi son, Tesla and others, that
the current is tangible substance-par-
ticies, in fact. that are thrown off by the
platinum cathode or other metal that $ used
in the Crookes tube.
1t is known that the current will pro-
duce slight irritation of the skin, and
even cause the hair to fan out after long
and continuous exposure, but this effect
is very slight. The young man who some
time ago was exhibiting the X-ray appa-
ratus at the Edison establishment, on
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, suffered somewhat in
this regard, but his hand which was af-
fected was subjected to the rays at fire.
quent intervals day after day for long
period.
That tangible current of this sort
might have some effect upon any dun or
sluggish nerve or other organ is quite
possible, but practical physicians are not
yet ready To hail even the mysterious ray
as a panaCea for blindness.