The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-06
X RAYSN NEW ROLE
A CASE m WHICH THEY RENDERED
The SURGEONS KNIFE USELESS
lily Their Aid n Physician Removed Key
From Boys stomach without an In
cision-An Operation Which May Mark
New Era In Surgery.

DIR. y. IL. Arp Of Moline, Ills, il
letter to Dr. Heber Robarts, editor of
The American X Ray Journal, gives the
details of recent operation under the
Horoscope which will revolutionize
the science of surgery as applied TO the
removal of foreign substances in the
esOphagus or stomach. Since his in.
itial experiment DR.. Arp has invented
an instrument with which, under the
Horoscope, he claims that he can re-
move any foreign body from the stom-
aoh without the necessity of an incision
with knife, AS far as the esophagus
and stomach are concerned, there Will
never again be occasion for tie sur
geOn' S knife to remove such an Lbstruc-
ton as a key piece of money or wish
bone.
DR.. Arp is one of the foremost ply
sicians and surgeons Of Illinois His
discovery has set the medicos thinking,
and some behold i'll it the stepping
stone to still more marvellous feats Of
operation in intestinal troubles without
the aid of the knife.
DR.. Robarts considers the operation
the beginning of long list of marvels
which he thinks are to be accomplished
under the X rays.
On June 10 boy 5 years old was
brought to Dr. Arp. He suffered from
hemorrhage and after meals was seized
with severe pains in the stomach-so
severe that the child would refuse food
for days rather than endure the torture
| which followed meal Under the
| Horoscope a key was revealed lodged
in the boys stomach. Then it was re-
mcmbered by his parents that he had
swallowed u bookcase key IA months
previously.
| On June l9 DR.. Arp resolved on a
novel experiment. Under the usual
method he would have found Il surgical
operation with the knife necessary to
dislodge the key He resolved TO use 10
knife. The boy was rendered uncon-
scious by annsthetics. A forceps, used
| for operating i. the esophagus, was
! inserted. Under the Horoscope the key
and forceps shone ont plainly in the
stomach When inserted full length,
the forceps failed to reach the key by
three inches. The operating table was
! tilted so that his head would hang
downward. With his right hand DR..
! Arp kneaded the stomach so that the
key would be forced toward the forceps.
The process had the desired effect, but
caused a severe flow of blood. Bringing
the key and forceps together was diff
/ cult task, as the doctor had no control
| over the forceps and was compelled to
force the key to it.
When clinched, the boys position
was changed to keep the blood out OF
the trachea. The key was then extract
ed, causing severe hemorrhage
| When restored to consciousness, the
boy was treated to small pieces of ice
and strong solution of chloride of iron,
upon which all bleeding ceased. He ha;
since recovered almost completely.
The key had corroded so that it was
thin and sharp, with jagged edges like
that of saw. Unless removed it would
have caused the childs death The op-
| Grafton is the first of it's kind on record
and gives but faint insight into the
future possibilities of the X ray applied
to human ills Louis Republic.