Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-03
MILDER MILITARY SURGERY
Striking Success of the hontseh
RAYS i'm battlefield Operations.

The interesting and important subject
of the use of the Rontgen rays In mill
tary surgery was dealt with last night al
the meeting of the Rontgen Society," III
the rooms of the Medical Society, Caven-
dish Square, by Major j. Battersby Royal
ARMY Medical Corps. Major Battersby
was engaged with the expediuonary lorce
in the Soudan, and at the batue OF oih-
durham. and most of his work was actu-
ally performed in the hospital at Aoadir'
Mr.. Mansell Mulln, the president OF the
society. was in the chair, and there was
large attendance. The chairman orlehy
introduced the lecturer. Major Batterspy'
az the outset, said that he had been III
debted to Mr. Mackenzie Davidson WIN
a modification of whose apparatus ne
had been able to locate many deep-seated
bullets in the Soudan. He did not eX-
meet that they knew less about X rays
than he did but he was glad TO state
that the Army Medical Corps were lafSely
using the Y rays in their work, and that
now every military hospital was n'teu
with the apparatus. 49,.
The system has been utilized by MAJOR
Beevor in the cold of Chitral, ana ne
himself had used II IN the iit nilS etaeted
in the extremes of heat ana cold. II
was. however, necessary 10 cover tto
coils with felt, and keep them constantly
damp He referred 10 the differences OF
opiniop as TO the use Of the rays, but ne
himself had no doubt that they WeIe
of invaluable assistance in locating Dul-
let's In shot wounds, but there was TINS
10 be said that difficulties arose IN ths
I H. I'd az
not doubt further that they would pc
of great valve in surgery, espeGIdu! III
locating Assesses and the ike, lie tul u
ed chiefly 10 the use OF the rays IN pIdc-
teal military surgery. He mentioned q
q curious fact that often the wrong slue
was operated upon, owing 10 II Deing lOI-
gotten that the skiograph reversed t tne
picture OF the injury. In fractures oi tir'
pelvis the rays had not helped the sur
geon much, but they had been lotha
most useful in the case OF injuries 10 ny Wy
knees. Much useful Information WouIu
result if a systematic examination wa
| made i'm every CASE Of suspected fracture.
| Skiography would especially save many
child from permanent qiS sleefl'I When
| limbs and il had been most useIuI WHeh
| dealing with foreign bodies when were
| Opaque 10 the rays. As lead was Vi i
| OF the latter, the rays were OF great FdIue
~ Tn IL twentv-one cases Of British wounded
| after the battle of Omdurman, wnere the
| position OF the bullets could not De 10
| Gated, twenty were found by means OF tne
J rays. and tho only exception was tnat CL
a lung wound, when the patient was '4o
| i'll to be examined. The surgeons III
| charge of the field hospital bore hlsn tes-
| timony TO the value Of the apparatus,
| and they found in it a probe WHlch We
| painless. certain, and antiseptlc some
| sixty observations were made IN the SOU
| dan with the result that eacn case II
was found, had to be dealt with on ltss
own merits. They had localized uosI VI
| the bullets by system or cross shlo-
| graphs. and by a modification or the Mac
| kenzie DavidsOn'S localiZing appdla l ea.
| He recommended a light apparatus lor
| field work. 49,. or,o+io,,
The greatest difficulty was the creation
| Of the current. but i'm the SOudan they hdu
used a DYNAMO driven by tandem DIZZY
Gle. Screen work was most lmpOItant II.
! field surgery. as II enabled the operator
- axnIoTe any mart of the body without
! delay After the lecture the Major threw
| ON the screen d number OF hlgnly inte-
| resting photographs ana skIoSrapns tah5Ii
| during the recent expedition. Inc ielu
! Hospital at Abadir, on the Me, JIsI pe-
| fore a dust storm overlook II mdue IT d
! weird and curious picture Soinc W ~.
! el,iographs vividly showed now severe
100 vlounds received from dervish bu.-
! lots the bones exhibiting bad fractures
! In MANY cases. while, on the otner hailu'
| the usefulness OF the rays was Demon
! Grated I'm the case Of wounds received
| frorn sDent bullets. These latter IN the
! slxiograph were made clear at once oW-
ing to the presence or the fnissiies III Iiie
| yv0und and the probing which Formerly
/ tooIf Mace was avoided, while in all cases
! the extraction Of bullets was made easy
| Major Rattersby was cordially thanked
/ foy his contribution to the scientific know
ledge of the uses of the Rontgen rays