The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-23

Her Dead power Ot VISION That She
Gan Distinguish Large Moving objects
--The Most Powerful Radium I'm the
world Now To BE Used on the Patient.
Lille SpitznAdsl, pretty Austrian
child, eleven years old, who has been
totally blind since she was three years old,
has been made to see slightly. as the result
of an experiment in using a combination
of radium and X-rays
The experiment was tried only last
Wednesday night, and at the time of appli-
cation it gave little or no promise of being
even moderately successful. The childs
sight has not been restored, but she has
in three days emerged from condition Of
total blindness to one in which she can
distinguish moving objects and can plainly
discern ordinary electric lights at night.
Dr. Anon Jenkins of II State street, this
CITY. who is connected with the Marine
Hospital Service and whose patient the
child ia, and William j. Hammer, a well
known electrical engineer and expert in
radlum, conducted the experiment on the
blind child, and while they decline to COM
nit themselves to the prediction that the
little girl will ever entirely recover her
sight, they argue for the treatment they
have given that it is the first successful
application of radium to blindness since
the discovery Of that powerful metal,
If the child continues to improve during
the next week as she has since she began
the treatment it may not be necessary
to have another application, but II she
does not, the experiment will be repeated,
this time with the most powerful radium
to be obtained in the world, radium with
800 900 radio activity. which Mr.. Hammer,
In conjunction with certain physicians in
this city, is now using in an attempt to cure
an obstinate case Of cancer. The radium
used in the experiment Of Wednesday night
was Of 1000, 5000 and 900 radio activity.
Lille Spitznadel is both pretty and bright
Her address is not given here, at the request
Of Dr. Jenkins. who does not want her both
cred by the curious, but she lives on the
upper East Side with her parents, who are
poor. She was stricken with blindness
when years old after long illness due to
meningitis, and for several years now has
been pupil in a school for the blind in
Hartford, Conn. She plays the piano, sings
and is accomplished as far as so young a
child can be in the things that the blind
learn at the institutions devoted to their
instruction.
The chiid's eyes are wide open and very
clear. Indeed it is impossible for casual
observer to tell that she is blind at all
Shortly after she was stricken, she was
examined by DR.. Hamilton Knapp, who
said that although her right eye appeared
to be in better shape than the left, he saw
no hope for her ever recovering her sight.
The child has b zen under DIR. Jenkins's
care for some time. He is much interested
in radium and has made many expert
ments with Mr.. Hammer who has labora-
tory at 1873 West Forty-sixth street devoted
to work with radium.
But DR.. Jenkins and Mr.. Hammer have
been particularly interested in experiments
on the blind with radium especially in those
of DIR. Loudon, a Russian physician, who
experimental on two blind children in st.
Petersburg several months ago. In these
cases the radium was placed in tubes at
he back Of the head, and the patients had
slight sensation of light. 1t was nothing
like vision, however. 1t was rather akin
to the sensation Of light experienced
by person who has received a blow on
The head
DR. Jenkins and Mr. Hammer decided
that little Title Sptznadel was an ex-
ceptional case for experiment, and last
Wednesday night the girl was taken, with
the consent OF her parents, to Mr.. Ham
mcrs laboratory, where everything had
been prepared to treat her with the COM
binaton Of radium and X-rays. The COM
binaton was the Joint idea OF the two scien-
lists.
Before the experiment the child was
submitted to the severest tests to prove
her total blindness. Electric lights were
turned on and of in the room, but she
dilin't notice them at all. A magnesium
ribbon was burned close to her eyes, making
a most intense light, but she could not dis
Germ it. Her face was placed close to forty
tubes Of phosphorescent matter which had
been stimulated by magnesium ribbon
and which gowed with all the colors OF
the spectrum, on the theory that the diff
Eerent wave lengths might affect her, but
she raw nothing.
light, employing an induction coil con-
denssr, bridge TO Cross the gap and
iron electrodes; but even this produced
no sensation on the child
Satisfied beyond doubt that the child was
totally blind the two men then proceeded
with their treatment They placed seven
tubes Of radii.rn, ranging from 10 to 1000
radioactivity, in several narrow chocolate
boxes and held them against the forehead,
base Of the brain and temples Of tho child.
Asked II she could distinguish anything,
the little girl almost broke out into tears
and said in a choking voice that she could
not she evidently thought that the ex-
pertinent was over, and that all had been
done for her that could be done.
Or Jenkins next took an X-ray appa-
ratus and the child was allowed to look
shrolgh the horoscope. She could see
nothing reflected on the screen. Next the
A-rav and the radium were tried for the
first time in conjunction. The radium
WAS placed at the same three points and
lac Sray used with it, the theory being
that the Xray might be- faster than the
radum ray and would therefore serve to
stimulate il and drive it in. Neither DR..
Jenkins nor Mr. Hammer contends that the
N-Fay Is faster. that point being a matter
~ controversy among scientists ut this
time, but II was on that theory that they