The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-09
CAUSES OF X-RAY BURNS.
DANGER COMES FROM LACK OF
SKILL, SAYS DIR. VIM. j. MORTON.
The Management OF tho x-Ray Not TO ne Mas
tered without study-ftensons WIFI IT'S Uso
ON Human BeinEa should ne ReEuinted-The
Rage for x.Rny Experiments IN This Country.

rays has become so frequent MS to be n matter
for serious consideration from a physiological
point Of view. besides threatening to Interfere
with tho general utility OF the rays in various
scientific and industrial fields. In one case re-
ported, n piece Of burned flesh as large as the
fist had to be cut away from n sufferer. and in
others the wounds were intensely painful. and
resisted, sometimes for months, every attempt
to heal them. The seriousness Of this burning
may be judged from the fact that the inflammn-
ton caused by the R0ntgcn rays on human flesh
is n true gangrone, or death OF tho cells. With
q Wow to throwing light on this subject, which
seems to DO little understood, n Sun reporter in.
tcrvicwcd DIR. William J. Morton, who has been
described by Edison as tho first X-ray expert
in America" DIR. Morton said:
Il have read with a great deal of solicitude
tho various accounts of burns and injuries by
tho X.ray. for l sec that what promised to be,
and what surely is, one OF the most valuable aids
to surgery, in the way OF diagnosis, yet discov-
crod, may suffer irrcpnrable harm from these
accidents. Were there tho slightest necessity
for accepting this reflection on a magnificent
modern achievement, one could bear 1t with
moro complacenCy; but since such is not the
case, we must do oil we can to cnlighton the
public as to the true facts. The truth OF the
matter, sad as 1t is to relate and stating
the case most mildly. Is that the burns OF
WnlCn tncre naVo Deen 30 many serious ana
even shocking cases. have been produced by in
efficiency either of the apparatus or OF tho OPP
orator. No subject of such complexity as tho
expert management Of the X.ray can be mas
tered by Tom, Dick. and Harry without ade-
quate prior study and practice. In most sci
entifc pursuits n preliminary technical institu-
ton training Is required, especially in such rs
relate to electricity and the physical sciences
in general. In the case of the X-ray, a double
preliminary training Is essential. namely, both
that of the electrical expert and that of the
physician. 1t would now seem that every line
man deems himself more than capable of per
forming medical service through tho medium
Of X-rny pictures for such clients as may choose
n matter of fact. without wishing to call
attention TO my own share In the use Of the
500 A,p" X.r IN 1] pirtSrss | mh aTEe S "lre .nrf Ga ,no meSariiy II
tho course. of continued experimentation with
Crookes, tubes, I have never yet seen or cyperi-
cnced the slightest burn or injury to n tissue.
not even have I ever discovered the slightest
irritation OF the skin, even in the most sensitive
this statcmcn is thnt I early remarked the
fact that after several hours use OF the fiuoro-
scope and experimenting in the atmosphere
OF the rays, I have on frequent occasions noted
in my own person an irritation of tho eyelids,
Money an itching burning; and smSriing sen.
days. In the course Of my R0ntgcn ray work I
have often taken the entire trunk, and. indeed.
the entire adult body. which prosupposes very
powerful rays. My immunity from accidents I
believe to be due, to n great extent. TO the fact
rnrntus fully adequate to the requirements
of my work, and. IN the second place, ! have for
ut a very considerable distance from the subject.
! hnhitually take n hand at from two to three
feet distance and sometimes four feet, and in
from two seconds to two minutes. The picture
OF the trunk I take mt n Distance OF from two 10
three feet. and in no c,se do. | ever place the
Crookcs tube nearer TO the subject than eighteen
inches. Obviously. with weak apparatus, and
more 80 with strong. the inexperienced man.
place the tube anywhere within, say. six
inches from the patient. and would I'M
hi rritats and ID a burn sfn''' tho 'T sfin. A of es sHsSsii
Investigation of the reports Of cases of burns
thus ftr has sRtistcd me that IN every in.
OF the skin. and with n long-continned exposure,
ranging often up to an hour and a half; For my
I'm average of from two to three feet, I consider
fifteen minutes, exposure amply sufficient in The
ago in n hosnital n terrible case OF liberation OF
the skin. The patient; 2 young lady. informed
inches, and that the exposure had been IIa hours.
The. whole question simply resolves itself
management. and although 1t may not be true,
rs has been said. that mn X.ray expert must DO
horn so. still 1T is true that such an expert must
is now, too many would-bo operators are
inmblinE in the dark and the public has to pay
1.-The amount of experimentation that has
been done with the X:ray in this country is moth:
!Is shor, eS IF wo@ ID tSs E sHid T; GIoRE nm}nssrl
"Crookes tubes, which at first were scarce and
cost $50 or $50 apiece, are now almost as cheap
and plentiful as incandesccnt lamps, and people
have learned to handle them so that they do not.
ms they did formerly. break down permanently
after a few seconds use. Some tubes in use by
friends OF mine have done good service for weeks
and months. owing both to improvement In man.
1t is, perfectly true. however, that serious
troubles have arisen from what is now known
This n q "a had thing Mt all in Tho broad sapaa ha-
cause it will teach people that experts are
needed whenever it Is a question OF experiment,
free application OF drugs. RnTsthetics or tho
knife, and there is absol utely no reason why tho
non. Is one OF the greatest aids that surgery and
physiological diagnosis have gained In recent
venturcsome tyro. As a matter, of fact, In view
Of the immense range, of inanimate objects to
which the X,rny can be applied. there Is abso,
certainty Of aiding the physician in his work.
ness of the alarm shown about the injurious
s.ffee, Of the X-ray on living tissue. A. my very
within a few days after the announcement OF
R6ntgen's great discovery; he snid to me:
about this blamed thing is the effect that it has
upon your eyes aud your skin. I am so nervous
nbout,it thai ! don'tliks to keep my eyes under
strain OF staring necessarily, and shut my eyes,
but IL didn't make any difference. My men
itl III III llNI WI navy lcO ltIDlt'l HVlllo
very curious effects. tho nature of which would
perhaps bettcr be reported to a doctors meeting.
] can say this, however, that We soon found out
that tho hes! why of giving n cut or II sore u
chance to heal was TO keep 1t ont of range of tho
rays
MIR. Edison went on to describe various other
curious physiological phenomena. and his mind
at that time was really more .intGnt on them
than on other conditions TO which he was pay
ing attention. might mention, nlso. that OK
perlmenting with pr. Morton Mt the very begin.
ming of the work. that expert was very anxious
to know my sensations In the eyes and on the
skin when subjected to the X-rays. and l fancy
both Mr.. Edison and DR.. Morton early discovered
the correct modus Operandi for avoiding tho
delcterlous and apparently poisonous effect OF
the ray, as | don't know of q single case reported
In which the experiments OF either of them have
resulted badly. The same is true OF tho work OF
Prof. Elihu Thomson, except that he deliher.
ately tried to induce on his own hand the worst
burning effects in order that he might find out
to what they were exactly duo"
why n Kentucky Horse Carries His Tail Up.
From Hdrper's Weekly.
No other animals I have met I'm the country