The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-16
TELEPHONE
USED AS PROBE
Bullets Sound Their Own Hello
From Depth Of Wounds.
-
THEY COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT.
Surgeons and Electricians Of New York In
tsrsstst In Devices Successfully Used
During The Beer War.

New York. May l6.-surgeons and cleo
tricians are much interested I'm the latest
improvements In the telephone probe now
used in locating bullets in gunshot
wounds Experiments have been made
with the contrivance for several years.
but only recently has its pracucability
been fully demonstrated.
Interesting Instances OF the use of the
Instrument are given by writer in the
Electrical Review IN the case OF
soldier In the South African war wound
ed by a Msuser bullet, which had lodged
Immediately in front OF his stomach, the
pincer-iike ends OF the telephone probe
fitted over the projectile. and immedi-
ately a noise was heard in the receiver.
The touching of the metallic substance
had completed the circuit and given an
alarm.
In another case the electric probe was
used 10 search for a bullet In the shoul-
der on the first trial the surgeon got
hold of hard substance. but there was
no response from the telephone. lie tried
again in another direction, and the tele-
phone showed that he had struck
metallic substance.
DIR. George +. Shrady said yesterday
that the cases were no doubt correctly
reported as they were tn line with the
progress being made In surgery.
lSps srss s9 - hf he sad eSPeri
ments were made with the telephone
probe or similar inventions An elabo-
rate device was used in an attempt 10
locate the bullet which finally caused the
death OF the president. The completing
OF the circuit WHEN the bullet was near
the electrodes was supposed 10 reNea
the presence OF the projectile. Through
some mishap the machinery however.
was manfestly wrong I'm It's work Inc
bell rang To indicate that the bullet was
in the groin. when TO those VINO had
studied the case it was apparent that
II could not have been there. The au-
topsy showed that the bullet was III me
back. q. was thought that the wire
mattress on which the president rested
had produced a variation which account
ed for the mistake.
Another device which has been en-
pioyPd with SffcrrsS tonfpit-tt---t a t+F.til'
when the probe touches the bullet The
fact that the bullet has been reached Is
made known by the completion OF cir
cult between two bits of metal placed ~
the mouth OF the operator. The electrl.
cal action is detected by the sense oi
taste. The telephone probe Is exceed.
ingly useful and Is used in the United
States army and navy. Where there are
better facilities for the treatment OF pa
tents such as the hospitals anord. the
X-rav apparatus Is 20 be preferred.
Among those who discussed the tele-
phone probe yesterday was a distinguish-
ed investigator of electric phenomena. lie
said the idea Of the probe had been de-
veloped by Prof. Hughes. the inventor OF
the mlcrophone The principle OF the
telephone probe be described as mat oi
the Induction balance. The contact OF
the probe with metallic substance com
pleted n circuit which rang bell or pro-
duced a noise. lie said that. useful as the
probe was the N-ray apparatus was bet
Ter in cases where II was possible 20
have every facility for the treatment oi
wounds