The herald., 1897-10-24
WONDERFUL USE OF THE X-RAY
Some Remarkable Experiments and Discoveries by
Dr. Fins E. Yoalxum of Los Angeles

The Roentgen ray has become most
valuable as means OF investigating and
assuaging human ailments. Surgery
and pathology have been largely bene-
flied by its discovery, and while much is
still in obscurity, yet scientists believe
as the technique is perfected the use of |
1t will become wide spread; they also
believe physicists are on the eve of one
Of those great mechanical synthesss OF
natures agents some of which, as in the
discovery Of electricity, have changed
the conditions of the whole civilized
world.
Great progress is being made constant
~, and the Invention of the flIorescent
screen is only second in Importance TO
the Roen.gen discovery. The N-ray
examinations are considered more i'm
portant factor in surgery than in the
diagnosis of disease. The question of
q fracture is settled at glance through
the fluorescent screen, and often a broken
limb is set; by means Of the Roentgcn
ray the surgeon may assure himself as
to the proper knitting of the bona and
the healing Of the affected member by
placing the patient before the screen.
All our preconceived notions Of pho
Biography are thrown aside as the vol
luminous bandages the ordinary clothing
and the soft tissues of the body form
but slight obstacles to the passage Of
the X-rays, and cast faint shadows on
the plate. Even bed-ridden patients can
be autographed through the covering.
The picture of the figure given in this
article Is of young woman taken by
DR.. Finis e. Yoakum of this city. She
stood but four and a half feet from the
plate, and was charmingly gowned in
silk with jewels on neck and arms. One
may see the faint outline of the silken
folds of the dress and may distinguish
the necklace, bracelets and rings upon
the bony structure. The buttons of the
shoes and the shadow OF the hair show
up in faint outline. The uncanny OBJ
ject makes one shudder as he reflects,
upon the power of this new photogra-
ply.
Among the late phases of development
of the wonderful radience of the Roent-
gen ray, as applied by DR.. Yoakum, and
one which is likely to become invaluable
in mining, is the determination of go.l
in quartz. DR.. Yoakum discovered this
by accident. He was cathoding a tumor
and there being a vacant space upon the
plate, he placed there a bit of gold
quartz. When he developed his plate he
was surprised to see the outline of the
rock, with spots here and, there showing
the presence Of gold. The pieces of ore
showed clear and distinct, as may be seer
by looking at the picture given in this
article. Not only does the X-ray show
that there is gold in the rock, but it also
approximates how much of the metal
there is
Possibly ONE of the most wonderful
cases in medical practice where the
X-ray was used was the one which
came under the observation of our Los
Angeles physicians last June. The case
was that Of a child, boy about months
ole. having humorous growth on his
body at the base of the spine
On examination with the X-ray the
doctors found the tumor contained tiny
bones, the nature of which could not be
determined. An operation was decided
upon and the supposed tumor removed.
When this was opened it was found TO
contain child in partial state of de-
velopment. While the head and, the up
per part of the trunk were soft and
gelatinous, they were clearly defined,
and the hip ard thigh bones. were hard
and strong. The upper part of the body
was preserved in alcohol, but the bones
were boiled and freed from the soft sub
stance around them and were found to
be perfectly formed and we'll developed,
being the thigh and hip bones and part
of the vertebrae,
This is considered by the Los Angeles
physicians as one of the most remark
able cases in medical history and ONE
almost unknown heretofore in nlseical
science, the case Of one infant growing
in the body of another than the mother
II BORN properly it is supposed by the
physicians the child would have beers
Joined to its brother at the base Of the
spine and the phenomena would have
been something like the one of the Sia-
mese twins. About five months before
the birth Of the baby the mother had
been kicked by her husband in drunk
en- frenzy, and it is supposed the acci-