The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-09-24
LIVER RESlSTS THE RAYS.
PRoentgen's Discovery Useless Where That
| Organ Is Involved.


emain there unless found by the an
[cient method of probe and knife. Y
Fays, Roentgen's process, aided by the
appliances devised by all the electrical
scientists of the age, are powerless
against the texture of the liver. Prac-
ltically every other portion of the human
ANATOMY will yield to the penetrating
pwer of the horoscope, but that liver
Aeclines to do anything of the kind.
At least this is the decision reached
by DIR. William Fl. Forwood, of the
United States army. He declares that
he has been unable to locate anything
in or behind the liver when the rays
are sent upon the body from the front.
They will not penetrate that organ.
DR.. Forwood is officially known as
lieutenant colonel and deputy surgeon
general. He is on station at headquar-
tiers in Washington and the duties of
his office leave him considerable leisure
! time. This time he has used for many
wears in the study of applied sciences
in the practice of his profession. He
Us noted in the medical world as an eX-
perimentalist, and has produced some
results which have overturned precon-
ekeived ideas. As medical officer of
the army, and a ranking one at that,
has the facilities at hand or attaina-
/ Bile taSrrbanything which will assist in
making experiments. AS soon as Prof.
Roentgen made his discovery known.
DR.. Forwood began his experiments.
He secured all the appliances by requis-
ition, for the good of the service" and
established a Crookes tube laboratory
unexcelled in the country.
Then he commenced his experiments.
He photographed his orderly from every
possible standpoint, causing that use
full, but somewhat sensitive man to
feel strong desire to get out of the
service. He practiced on the hospital
corps, and induced many of those who
ere attached to the general headquarters
in the capital city to submit them
selves to the influence of the rays. He
assembled all of his pictures, but he
never touched a liver. Then he went
cunning for livers, but so far has not
been able to land one.
DIR. Forwood was a member of the
army retiring board which adjourned
Friday morning after holding sessions
for several weeks at Gen. Merritt's
headquarters in the Pullman building.
He is an enthusiast in medical matters,
and especially Y rays. 1t is said that
he wanted to photograph the alleged
disability of every officer who appeared
before the board to be examined for
retirement. If they were all right the
rays would show it. But somebody
suggested that one of the officers suf-
fered from chronic hillary derange-
ment.
"Oh, WELL" said the deputy surgeon
general 'if that's the matter with him
We'll have to try him in the old way.
] can't get liver with the rays"
That started the investigation con-
corning the power of the rays. Several
of the officers detailed for duty on the
board knew DR.. Forwood's experiments
| with the rays, and they asked him to
tell what he had done and what the
reason is that the rays will not pierce
a liver. The doctor agreed, but prefaced
his remarks by saying that he knew
no special reason why a liver should
resist the rays. He only knew that il
| does.
II have not given it up" he said, but
1t is a singular fact that l cannot get
through liver. | have succeeded in
drawing everything else, but this
battles me. The increasing of the power,
Or voltage, does not help. In some things
| this does assist. For instance, you can
see through white man much easier
than you can through a negro. When
a 'darly' is being experimental on you
| have to increase the power of the in
strument in a marked degree. This is
| due primarily, | suppose, to the pig
ments in the colored mans skin and the
corresponding density of his covering.
| But this liver business gets me.
THE annoying nature of this failure
is shown when you figure the number
of fellows who get bullets in their livers
| in :. cattle 1t is hard to hit a man in
thy trunk without involving one or both
| lc oes of the organ. Now, a wound in
the liver may or may not be fatal. 1t
is not necessarily fatal. If the surgeon
| goes after the bullet and finds it has
penetrated the liver, as far as | can
see. he will have TO trust to luck, cut the
man wide open, or let the ball alone.
1t may become encysted in that liver
and remain there for years, and then
the surgeon, if he survives and rela-
tives do not interfere, may hold a post
mortem and extract it.
81 can find anything l want by cut
ting, but what l am looking for now is
means of finding what / want with
cut using the knife. If you slash a
man sufficiently you can generally find
what it is that is hurting him, but this
new idea when perfected will, or ought
to, enable field surgeons to determine
whether or not there is any use of fool
ing with wounded man. But the liver
battles me. | can see through the lungs
and bones and any other substance in
the body but the liver.
Can you tell what is the matter with
man who is sick with lung troubles?''
''Under the rays the lungs look like
lace curtains. You see some fine ara
besques, but there is little to the lay
| Il i. 4 I