Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-09-26
ROENTGEN RAYS IN WAR.
A PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR THE
USE OF ARMY SURGEONS.

Results of the Employment of Y Eays in
Military Surgery on the Recent From
tier Expedition in India-worlSing the
Apparatus ut the Front.
At the Royal United Service Insti-
tuition, London, Surgeon Major W. c.
Beevor, Army Medical Staff, delivered
an address on "The Working of the
Roentgen Raysin Warfare" The lec-
ture was based on the result of experi-
ences the officer gained during the re-
cent operations on the northwest from
tier in India.
Surgeon Major Beevor at the outset
said his object was to give the results
| of the employment of the Roentgen ray
in military surgery on the recent from
| tier expedition in India, and then to
lay before them some notifications in
the construction OF the appliances for
generating the X ray, which had sug-
| gestei themselves 10 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 in the science
might be originated, and additions
made to our efforts toward aleviating
human suffering, aud proving that
| surgeons were aiming, as our illus
trious forefathers ever aimed, OF plac-
| ing at least one more niche in the
Temple Of Esculapius. He proceeded,
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 and 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
tanned by the Roentgen rays were per-
haps those in the cases of 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 un-
doubtedly be easy of access; the coil,
the condenser, connections, ETC.,
should all be packed in cases that
could be opened and inspected at a
moments 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, a 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. 1t 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
low the duty of every civilized Nation
to supply its wounded in war with an
x 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
I