Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-12
X-RAY IN THE WAR.
HOW THE FIELD HOSPITAL SUR
GEONs WILL LOCATE BULLETS.
ITS VALUE WILL Be IMMENSE.
Experiments Made TO Test the Plan
of x-Ray Work by Army Surgeons
Results I'm It's Recomme ndation TO
the Military Authorities.
Correspondence of the pispatch.)

Correspondence Of the Dispatch.)
NEW YORK, June u.-If the science OF
killing has made rapid strides since the
last war IN which this country took part,
the science OF llfe-saving has advanced
equally as fast. There will be little pos
sibility of a repetition OF the narrowing
stories OF suffering endured by the wound
ed left sometimes for days on the field of
battle. Every United States soldier who
goes to the front In the war with Spain
will carry in his knapsack a package OF
antisepiic dressing. in the use OF which
he will have been thoroughly trained,
so that should a comrade be hit he can
dress the wound in a workmanlke man
her and SO save him from bleeding to
death before the surgeon arrives.
This is one instance OF the advance OF
science in the cause OF the soldier. An
other is In embryonic shape just at pres
ent. but It promises to become OF practi-
cal use before land hostilities actually
begin. 1t is none other than our friend,
the X-ray. lost sight Of temporarily
during the stirring times that we have
fallen upon. IL comes up again in con
nection with the scientific arrangements
for extracting bullets in field hospitals.
The few experiments made In bullet eS-
traction with the aid of the X-ray have
shown the great use to which the inys-
terious agency can be put In connection
with the hed-hOspital service.
one Of the surgeons who has been con-
Quoting a series Of experiments with a
view 10 testing the usefulness of the X
l..
He says of his experiments: "One patient.
aged "A, whilst cleaning pistol. accident
ally shot himself, the bullet lodging i'm the
palm of the right hand. The wounded
hand had been subjected to the Roentgen
rays. the skiagraph revealing the bullet
lying in the second interosseous space.
close to the proximal ends of the first and
second metacarpal bones.
when ] examined the patient found
the wound of entrance situated one-half
inch from the distal end CT the third
metacarpal bone on the palmar surface.
The patient complained that he was
losing the power Of his fingers
THE following day l operated, Dr. Tip
per acting as chloroformist. / made
free incision in the palm, carefully ex-
ploded the first, second, and third in
terosseous spaces, but with a negative
result Then / controlled the chloroform
and Or. Upper operated. lie also met
with non-suecess. The operation was
postponed, and next day the patient was
taken TO q photographic laboratory. l
placed strip of leadfoil along the
wound. Another skiagraph was taken,
which indicated the comparative relation
ship of my incison 20 the bullet.
II then resolved to operate on the hand
while the rays were actually passing
A. at ~ sl,~tF t1I
fuorescent screen for the sensitive plate.
Upper put the patient under chloroform,
and the room was darkened. on intro
ducing the bullet forceps into the wound
perceptible shadow OF the instrument
was thrown upon the screen, and my own
hand appeared in skeleton outline. Re-
moval OF the piece of lead was a question
Of very few minutes. | was so struck
by the success and rapidity of the opera
ton that venture 20 make the following
suggestions with regard to the removal
OF foreign bodies.
First, that the direct use OF the screen
is preferable in many cases 10 operating
by the aid OF a fixed sklagraph, provided
that the foreign body is lodged in the
less dense tissues.
Secondly. that It is advisable to place
over the skin a piece OF metallic foil, or
other Opaque substance indicating the
line of proposed incision before ope-
rating"
The attention OF the military surgeons
has been attracted to the subject OF the
X-ray as a part OF the field hospital equip
ment, and II IS a certainty that this
method OF locating bullets will be extern
sively used when the real fighting begins
between this country and Spain. The
apparatus is not too complicated or cum
bersome for quick transmission and there
Will be no particular difficulty in attach
ing it 10 the army hospital equipment.
Its value is not problematical. Science
helpful to heroes bullet-woInded in bat |
tie than will be the X-ray, by which the |
bullet will be located for quick extrac-
ton.