The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18
x RAYS FULL OF DANGER.
sERIoUs EFFECTS OF THEIR USE
BIZ UNSKILLED OPERATORS.

FnN Hece11tty OF caution NuEEeNteu 70 DoCuorR-
Esture and Causes OF the ~njnrios-Prccau-
tisns by Nikoia Tesia In the
Use OF X-Hay Apparatus
That very serious injuries may be produced by
the use OF the X rays when tho apparatus Is In
unskilled hands Is now we'll known. On this
point n letter received by THE Sun says:
Are not a great many physicians and surgeons using
the Dry. or Roentgen ray. without taking into ac'
count its possible chemical, effects upon the ti@ucs,
and doing this with frequent had resulth'
In las, Sundays sUS l note n quotation from the
CHICAGO Tribane, giving an account of such injury TO
q mans foot f.om the X ray that anputotlon was
necessary. Some time ago THE Sun reported the case
Of the wife of a Pittsburg physician, whose NIP Joint
was subjected to long exposures to the Srays, with
The result that she had TO be brought to New YORK Tor
treatment and was forced to undergo an operation for
ths O al of n large amount OF diseased flesh. l
have read OF many other cases The effect seems to
be q raw condition OF the flesh. W thout suppuration.
which II is difficult or impossible to heal. read OF
one instance OF q violent of the lungs
from an application of the rays to the thorax.
Eleven months ago 1 shot a ride ball through my
foot. Ny system was in perfect condition., and the
wound healed rapidly and well except on the cicatrix
Of the upper surface. The phalanx Of the fourth
digit was slightly injured, but necrosis OF the bone
did not ensuc. To this day the cicatrix on tho upper
surface Is raw and sore. This I attribute to the fact
chat I had three forty minute exposures Of the foot
made under the X ray. The surrounding flesh is per-
fectiy healthy. Tho cicatrix heals over occssionsl-
ly, but forms only q thin skin, and looks like q re-
GENTLY healed burn. After q time 1t breaks open
again, sometimes showing proud flesh. This In not
due TO Irritation.
IL seems to me that tho medical au.nor'nee win
need to give this matter their attention. A great
many physicians throughout the country have
equipped their orices with the apparatus for making
x.rsy photographs, and harm is likely to result in
many cases unless some means is found for obviating
the bad eject the ray evidently has on the tissues.
When the experimenting with the RocntEcn
rays began In this country there was nothing to
Indicate that they had in them any properties
which could DO dangerous. Probably the first
case OF injury recorded here was that .as %, n, d. .;
n~,wsA ,a,isoo"n. ,oe 49, " .ha poon,.
Co,u pn1s re OF 'S Ses sls s,sS =, St here T he ms sae s a poM.
sriul apparatus for their production. and a little
W. We Coles Of the Eieetricni Rerier, and his con-.
him. His hands were drawn up as il the muscles
hands and face was as red as if he were suffer
hrows were e'e cone and the hair was all MISSING
the foiIovinr account Of his case at tho time:
az. - - 49, .r,.,noon 80 Wv
ing Of each day FOR four days. was working
sronna MS apparatus Ior ron Two 10 tnr to
W Waa compeli IedpV to Cease so' active Il wo pi' owing wins to o
InS nrst lining al: law q hotcea Was Z crying
after a while it became so painful that It was
necessaIy I . sIop az oporations. II nanus
began to well and assumed Inc appearance
OF nafing q very aeep sunoaFn' - t aS
Inc hands. The knuckies were especiaiIy ofH.
ACSsoNs eASy SSAAlN chS oSASos .. Az Annu.
ernUtbb ~ tSe fTeo.s wv \ III n n stnnnsd end Inc
hair on the skin that was exposed to the ray ali
MatopPeu ou1f osPeeia y On tm ,nI ) an IL SIZES o
dIsa nneared nwina tn the f act oS NJ Hawtss
nsxinG plaGea ms mead IN Close pro1imnty 10 inc
ft s% y TS Saa syes sp Mera onit % b i ! 4 TShe and the Inc
Vision Was considerabiy fmpaired. The eve.
tosne syvs HesahT Thu 70 c h@s, 0 Wss an a1so the Sur nos
sSroasS the clothing. tie SnTn g ress%:
s,,nSs tbot Pa IN. n nnmn 1anmts ~ = .nsnsnd Ise-H were ere
two weeks. He consulted ,physicians. who
cnm os1 the sao e Secf Of Of T ne 9 \ I r rsoMut MI Haw w. s rst
tried onyerine bis hand T1itbb yaseiine and tben
Lea nis IN hnt NJ aSa u -
putting putting : . Q E,oy tS, on ao 6nt . me hand nv was nro at once
p."Ihrsnresae agar Tib sh9 bagn uS'9 a anaIfx mo n, pIocecs'p ON
SSy,sriPP s., il With bs5;s tin foil foil. = Mr. IT. Hawks eoinside s
m MINI aes mater 9e1e n,r rhSi a t layS are eff Rrss ram thy
Msr~ aiectricians donbt.a that ths ,n;,riss
vsre yybe rasplt nf the X avn tna' ann ~ aa nIIIr sa
AMONG Them was Prof. Elm Thomson r.
Pfoy yf,t tha Sp nc was az plgn ~ t hTo i aIda t" exposed
~ aioHe LIZ, ~ II anaS. F ny
as. cto xxas canv in II o 70 6im Tha stin - me me
S no "in,,gbaS ~ 6a u ,ant Tho ne;I Sh ana ~ us
einSteen WeeSs before the anger wa an entiTeiy
o,enh1eGI "eokS III u nnEel Was entirely
snd .arefnIix usmo uSna ~ ~. 10 wus n .ecture,
anu careluaiy remoyihR ing Wrappihgs from
Sropha Ihe nnger exhioited II as PROOF That he
n y peen wronS. ,odo - tho Aoaaouu; Dat.
.b q Fei tbat r tbpe IN m9ae 20 e ene asa nf fSe IN Z r ra1s
" u ano I ~ 4, C ~ t Ino Trays
1ro not 81 h ho connhea 10 Inc e1ternai sur,
.tom.c ~ smo 1y II, h ~ Wv Of osse 4 patieht !
Ssomacn ~ me suoRect Oh examination oy
W Witb Si Si s tto1 le close t to th pst iSbe w Whic PPia nrol
Taoad " ne G " ~ 'uoo when pro
3 3IH;ns Lh ~ emn nhaai n r. Astiamnoessccb A. on once Q ne com
annonS IUosm IN ane m ssSSm and ~ M Oh nausea;
a SoUona e5posure was Hiaae, ahu tnis resulted
ma M ns ~ cnnditIoO nec.D ny supPIraelon
III Ing patienL conui5io1 oeoaane very uanger'
OuSs LII eIo og Il tea. .n wnicn
p - moSs GnS Ssr : was WIN very high-ten'
Di p ehteIh5r " "a currents. ,h,s o,
* nttouan,y 10y onS IN tnrs COUNTY ~ can speaS
thsi. donnars thaHy fNSftnIa Tssia o H. aMhui
Sner hangers thah Niho.a iesia' bue Ior the
wight EAU vs h has the nne ~ snp nom yea n. ago, NJ
m.sns NV Doen ~ ~ ~ Sh,ounco INC uiscov
Sry . Y ' hoa rSys; ~ ? be o q tben ,rortg JOE II
DMetN hSmn tnaS y 2 was .heh morhing upon =
oiubiO " bOuuC vi bttlIiC puCnOultnd TIA LOO