The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
TO SEARCH THE BRAIN
LATEST PARIS INVENTION IN SUR
gerry TO FIND BULLETS.
Improvement Over the Ray That
Has Already Resulted i'm Two
Successful Operations.
New York Herald.

New York Herald
The X-ray as an adjunct to surgery has
been gone one better. Science has developed
q more perfect system of determining upon
the exact location of a foreign substance in
the human body, and even Il bullet imbedded
in the brain may now be removed without
jeopardizing the life of the patient. The
surgeons were the first to comprehend the
practical Importance of the discovery of the
X-rays. But few days elapsed after the
ver-to-be-forgotten communication by
Professor Roentgen before the hospitals of
Paris were using the photograph or the
kaleidoscope for locating foreign sub
stances introduced into the bones or tissue
of human bodies. But the surgeons were
not long in discovering the fact that it was
imprudent to exact too much from these
rays. They did not always indicate the pre-
else location of these foreign substances,
and the operator sometimes risked the pa
TENTS life by depending too completely on
the insufficient indication given by the X
rays. 1t was ascertained without a, doubt
that the Photograph, even with the aid of
clinic signs, was manfestly mpotent-this
fact has been proved by repeated expert
ments-to positively locate ball which had
been fired into the brain by a murderers
or suicides hand
Was it possible that this collaboration
with the X-rays, from which much had
been hoped, would prove failure? Sur
geons had been forced to this conclusion
much against their WILL when, fortunately,
a young man, M. Contremoulins, of the
Laboratory of photography, under
the direction of M. Kenny member of the
Faculty of Medicine, in Paris, came to the
fora and he faar Of fiSfS
surgeons by nventing an apparatus called
"le chercheur de projectiles,' or ''searcher
for projectiles,' which he claims is capable
of revealing with the absolute precision of
"dem- miimeter," the exact location of
a ball in the brain.
This apparatus. which only left the hands
of it's inventor fifteen days ago, has his
tory connected with it which is worth Telat-
ing It's invention not only does honor to
the knowledge, and tenacity of NM. Con
tremouins and Kenny, but 1t also proves
that there are still some persons in France
interested enough in scientific research to
encourage them, and to help financially
when such assistance has been denied by
the state.
THE NEW APPARATUS
The Faculty of Medicine in Paris was not
in possession of the necessary funds for
starting and maintaining a Photograph
laboratory, and yet such laboratory ex-
lists and owes it's existence to NM. Contre-
moulins and Kenny. The former. fascinat-
ed by Roentgens discovery and foreseeing
it's innumerable applications to surgery
procured at his own expense. with the as
sistance of NJ. Kenny, the Indispensable ap-
paratus for such laboratory. He con-
structed at his own expense an apparatus
still embryonic, but which, however, indi-
Gated and discovered with a perfect pre-
cision any projectile introduced into a
brain. This experiment, first satisfactorily
performed some six months ago. was most
enthusiastically spoken OF by Professor Ma
rey in lecture at the Academy of Medi-
cine.
1t now became a question of constructing
the apparatus of which NJ. Ccntremoulins
had made the model. This called for an
outlay of $500 francs. This amount not
forthcoming the construction of this use
full apparatus would be retarded and even
prevented. NJ Marcy made this sad rev.
elation," as he called 1t. publicly, express
ing the hope that in showing the penury to
which science was reduced some generous