Evening star., 1898-07-22
X-RAYS IN WARFARE,
They Form a Most Important Feature
of Military Surgery

/
A short time ago in England a lecture
was delivered before the Royal United
Service Institution by Surgeon Major
Beevor. entitled Working of the Roent-
gen Ray in Warfare" which in view of
cur extensive military operations in Cuba
| Is particularly interesting and timely The
lecture was based on the result Of experi-
eI'ces gained with the X-ray apparatus
during recent frontier expedition in In
cla The lecturer stated at the outset
| that his object was to give the results of
the employment Of the Roentgen rays in
military surgery and to mention certain
modffcations in the construction Of the
| appliances for generating the X-ray which
had suggested themselves to him after
working an ong the wounded on the field
| or battle and its adjacent hospitals Dur
1rg the course of the lecture many cases
or interest from the campaign were shown
py means OF magic lantern slides thrown
Upon screen. These consisted of bullet
wounds sustained by officers and men, in
1uring bones. joints and internal organs,
" hich baff1ed the skill of surgeons to as
certain their exact extent and which but
for the application of the X-rays So II
was claimed. must have resulted in ampu-
tation and probable loss of life The pic
lures shown include all manner of wounds
,L Inc most remarkable results obtained by
the use of Roentgsn rays were probably
IN the cases of bullet imbedded in the
backbone of one man. in the hip of another
AID In the heel of a third. In each of the
cases referred to the bullets We're success
fully removed by aid of the rays the men
subsequently rejoining their respective
regiments at the front. Great stress was
,alo py the speaker on the desira bility of
haFlng all the apparatus for military work
as simple in construction as possible thus
readiiy enabling the defects of wear and
tear to be renovated.
AS regards the most desirable means If
ITdJtSpOrtlng the 2DDaratnS jp.a
cut that 1t was not only possible but easy
TO nave an X-rey outfit working a. the
front: that the cases exhibited were in
olsputable proof that even in savage war
rare the X-ray could be brought thorough
ly under control and in many cases ailevi-
ate an immense amount of human suffer-
II g. A most important point referred to
oy the lecturer was. that after trying
every kind Of transport in India--mules
camels wheeled vehicles, etc.-he came TO
the conclusion that by far the safest and
most satisfactory was human transport
As the portable apparatus did not exceed
~ to 100 pounds in weight it was found
that two men were all that were required.
With reserve Of two more with reserve
equipments. bamboo pole or steel nine
some six feet in lei 9Th was What he found
the best thing from which to suspend the
foxes. This method of transport is said
to have proven eminently satisfactory In
the country.
The campaign which the United States
Is at present carrying on in Cuba is also
through z country difficult to penetrate
but II a military X-ray outfit could he So
successfully transported and proved such
boon in India, there would seen, n ba
no reason why our armies should not also
pc provided with apparatus of this nature
A short time ago there was some talk of
SO doing, but whether any decided steps
have as yet been taken in the matter We
are unable to say. If nothing has as vet
been DONE the question of providing X-ray
outnts shouid be taken up at once by the
rryffk
cur wounded soldiers the benefit of this
means OF alieviating their sufferings.