Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-08-10

in military SURGERY OH the recent from
tier expedition III India, and then to
lay before them some notifications in
the CONSTRUCTION Of the appliances for
generating the x ray; which had sug-
gested themselves to him after work
ing among the wounded on the field
of battle and its adjacent hospitals. He
invited their criticism in the hope that
some useful advance n the science
might be originated, and additions
made to our efforts toward alleviating
human suffering, and proving that
surgeons were aiming, as our illus
trious forefathers ever aimed, at plac-
ing at least one more niche III the
Temple of Esculapius. He pfocesded,
with the aid of magic lantern slides
thrown upon screen, to give repre-
sentations of cases of interest from the
campaign. These consisted of bullet
wounds sustained by officers aid men
who had injured bones, joints, and in.
ternal organs, battling the skill of sur
geons to ascertain their exact position,
and which, but for the application of
the x rays, must have resulted IN
amputation of limbs and probable loss
of life. The pictures shown included
wounds in the arm, leg, chest, back,
finger, and other parts of the body.
The most remarkable results OBJ
sained by the Roentgen rays were per-
haps those in the cases of d bullet i'm
bedded in the backbone, another IN
The hip, and an Indian soldier, who, at
Rawal Pindi, was shot in the foot,
pieces of the bullet finally lodging in
the back of the heel, and the case of
General Woodhouse, who received
bullet wounds in the leg and arm at
Dargai. In every one of the instances
enumerated, the bullets were, by the
use of the rays, successfully removed,
the men subsequently rejoining their
comrades at the front. One great de-
sideratum in the construction OF all
apparatus for military work was that
they should be "get-at-able," thus en-
abling them to renovate the inevitable
defects of wear and tear. Every por-
tion of their apparatus should qn-
doubtedly be easy Of access; the coil,
the condenser, connections, etc,
should all be packed in cases that
cotii d i,s Issaed aid inspected 81 h.
moment s notice without the necessity
Of special instruments, and, with q
view to obtaining this desirable con-
dition, the Medical Department OF the
army spared no expense or trouble,
having, after due consideration. or
dered the latest and most-improved
apparatus, specimen of which he ex'
hibited.
Considering the most desirable
means of transport for their appara-
tus, he pointed out that it was not
only possible, but quite easy, to have
an X ray apparatus working at the
front; that the cases already exhibited
contained indisputable proof that even
in savage warfare, where the Geneva
Convention was unknown, the X ray
could be brought under control and
an immensity of human suffering OBJ.
waited. It was not necessary that
every field hospital or bearer company
should be supplied with an apparatus,
as itcould be readily transported from
one part to another of the field of
operations. He maintained it was
now the juty of eyery civilized Nation
to supply its wounded in war with an
Y ray apparatus, among other surgi-
cal aids, not only at base hospitals,
but close at hand. wherever they
might be fighting and exposing them
selves to injury in the performance OF
their hazardous duty. (Cheers.) } After
trying every kind of transport in In
dia-mules, camels, wheeled vehicles,
etc.-he came to the conclusion that
by far the safest and most. satisfactory
in every respect was human TRANSPORT;
coolie labor could be obtained in
most places, and where not, any Eu-
ropean could be employed.
As the portable apparatus should
not weigh more than from eighty to
100 pounds, two men were all that
was required for the moment, and a
reserve of two more, with reserve
equipment, completed the transport.
A bamboo pole or hollow steel bar of
about six feet in length was what he
found the best construction from
which to suspend the boxes; each end
of the pole was carried on the heads
or shoulders of the bearers, and the
boxes were slung from the pole. In
Tirah he employed disused Dhoolie
pole and Dhoolie bearers to convey
his apparatus; they willingly ,volun-
teered for the service, and carried the
whole apparatus from Bagh Camp, in
Tirah, down the defile to Dwatoi, and
down the Bara Valley to Peshawur,
without injury; parts of this march
were beset with difficulties seldom
experienced in any kind of warfare,
and yet these faithful followers landed
their charge in good working orf.er
at q time when it wes sorely neetad.
A few photographs he took during
this march served to show the difficult
ties of transport in such country;
yet photography could not adequately
exhibit the conditions, for rocks, icy
cold water, rapid torrents, frost and
snow did not come entirely within the
grip of their Photographic lenses.
Mules, camels, and wheeled transport
were too uncertain conveyances for
delicate materials, except, of course,
where they had good roads and
plenty of room; but our military ap-
paratus should be independent of
these luxuries, and it seemed to him
that this transport fulfilled the neces-
sary conditions. He then dealt with
the difficulties specially involved in
working the apparatus at the front.
Heart Facts and Figures.