The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-12-09
AN x-RAY SCIENCE MARTYR
JOHN BAUER, EXPERT, WAS
KILLED BY CANCER.
For Years Was One of the Most EX-
pert Manufacturers of Ray
Tubes in the Country.

Tubes in the Country.
From the New York Tribune.
When it became known that John
| Bauer, known to physicians in this
city as one of the most expert man.
ufacturers in the country of the
Rontgen ray tubes, had died, a mar
tyr to science, from cancer contract
ed years ago in the making of X-ray
experiments, cancer specialists in this
city expressed great sorrow.
They said, however, that present
| knowledge of X-ray treatment pre-
Guided the possibility of a similar
fate Detailing other users of the ray.
Mr.. Bauer was member of the
firm of Green & Bauer of Hartford,
Conn, pioneer manufacturers of the
ultraviolet ray apparatus. Both he
and Mr.. Green contracted cancer
about eight years ago, before the
precautions were known which lead
ing physicians here say are now uni
versally taken to ward off the evil
effects of the X-ray treatment.
According to DR.. E. w. Caldwell
of No. $50 Park avenue, who knew
Mr.. Bauer we'll and was familiar
with the case, if the medical profess
sion had known three years ago as
much about the Rontgen ray as it
does now Mr.. Bauer's life would not
have been sacrificed. He said the
treatment which is now being given
to Mr. Green will save his life.
The public in general is afraid
of the X-ray treatment" said DR..
Caldwell. There are not as many
deaths from it, however, as from
over doses of drugs. Used with rea-
sonable skill it is harmless, but in
the case of Mr.. Bauer, which began
before anything definite was known
about the ROntgen ray, it is pitiful,
but not surprising, that he should
fall a martyr to it's cause.
eff Mr.. Bauer's cancer had begun
five years ago then it might truth
fully be said he caused his own death
from failure to observe ordinary eau
ton
DR.. Caldwell said there was no
such thing as "X-ray cancer" The
first appearance of the disease of Mr..
Bauer came in the form of a tender
ness of the skin of the hands and
fingers. Then his hands became
hard and callOus, and in turn eX-
tremely sore, as from burns. Both
Mr.. Bauer and Mr.. Green, his part
ner, formerly tested the strength of
a ray by looking through their
hands
In the case of Mr.. Bauer objective
sores succeeded, and they were not
amenable to any known treatment
Mr.. Bauer went to the German hos
pital in williamsburg about three
years ago, and after staying there a
few days was removed to the home
of his mother, at No 259 Ainslie
street, Williamsburg. Later he was
taken to the New York Skin and
Cancer Hospital, Second avenue and
East Nineteenth street, Manhattan,
where some of the best specialists
of the country were called into the
case. They, however pronounced it
hopeless.
After remaining at the Cancer
Hospital for over year he was
again removed to the German Hos
pital in Williamsburg, and three
weeks ago it was necessary to am
putate his left arm. The fingers of
his right hand followed, and other
operations of an even graver nature
would have been necessary had not
whole body, physicians say, was
rigid and callous, like the skin of a
smallpox cOnvalescent Despite the
fact that Bauer was only SO years
old in death he appeared to be a
man of 60 years. His funeral was
held yesterday from the home of his
mother, No. 259 Ainslie street Will
liamsburg, and was attended by many
we'll known physicians.
At the German Hospital the nature
of the present precautions taken to
guard the X-ray practitioner from
the malignant light was explained.
When the burning power of the ray
was first discovered the practitioner
used a lead apron, but this was not
found to afford sufficient protection
ward and would come up under the
apron on the inside Then the prac-
titiOner tried a suit of lead armor,
and this was more successful, for
lead is the one substance which the
rays cannot penetrate.
The danger to the patient is
slight, as he is almost covered with
lead plates. Only the affected part
is exposed, and the rays are focused
on this point.
The many we'll known doctors
using these rays are unanimous in
the opinion that the ray is one of
the greatest things ever discovered
in medical science. A well-known
! physician practicing in one of the
largest hospitals in the country said
that in many cases Of cancer and
| tumOr great results had been at
tanned by its use. Science has hardly
begun to test the possibilities of the
violet ray but, he said, q case of
| leprosy has apparently been entirely
cured by the use of the ray.
ITO the final conclusions of science