The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-11-27
Electricity and Medicine


installed an X Ray machine in connec-
ton with his practice and as such treat
ment is now attracting world wide atten-
ton. representative of this paper called
on him to secure information of gener-
al nature pertaining to these modern
medical scientific treatments. A photo
graph had been shown the representa-
tive by a patient, taken by y Ray meth
ods, which was clear, distinct and self
explanatory. 1t showed the various parts
of the limb and the location OF bullet
that had been lodged there for many
years. In response to request, the
doctor gave the following:
Historians and writers on political
economy make an arbitrary division Of
epochS into certain ages, which take
their name from the material or force
which has played the most important
role in the worlds development at any
given time. Commencing with the Stone
Age, we have gone up the scale: Copper,
Bronze, Iron, Steel, etc.
Within our own memory we have ad
vanced from the age of Steam to the age
OF Electricity. in which We are now liv-
ing. Although electrical energy has
been recognized for a long time, it has
only been for the past decade that it has
become commercially useful; but within
the last quarter century, especially, it
has become the chief servant of man in
many of the arts and sciences, and today
il we were deprived OF its use the world
would come to a standstill.
1t was early surmised that electricity
was destined to become part of the
armamentarium OF the physician and
surgeon. A vast number of experiments
were conducted with the direct and indi
rect forms of current throughout the
world, chiefly by specialists on nervous
diseases, and was gradually undergoing
a process of degeneration when all of Il
sudden, in the year 1895, Prof. William
Conrad Roentgen, while experimenting
with Crooks tube, discovered the Y
Ray and soon afterwards came the evolu
ton of the static machines and the coils
and high frequency currents.
The direct offspring Of the coil was
the high frequency current, and with its
discovery the position of electricity in
medicine took an entirely new impor
tance. Advanced thinkers now put all
their energies to the development of the
most important discovery of the century
and the wonderful new remedy was soon
adapted to the intelligent and effective
use Of the profession.
High frequency currents and X Rays
are now recognized as standard thera
peutic agents, Their immediate appli
cation is simple and easy. The results
approach the mirac ulous, almost beyond
belief-indeed belief would be impossible
were not these reports backed up by
men all over the world having undis-
puted regulations for honesty and
straightforwardness.
The trend of this age is electrical il
the medical world as well as the com
mercial; in short, new methods are tax
ing the place of the cruder forms. There
is a reaction from the excessive use o
drugs which today play subordinate
part rather than leading part in the
daily routine Of the up to date physician
and surgeon. Much more thoug ht il
being given to the question Of sanitation
hygiene, dietetics, suggestive methods
Of treatment and divers mechanical anC
physical methods.
Among these newer methods of treat
ments no single means of their applica
tion has received so much attention
among the profession and been ex-
plotted among the laity as the newel
the physician who IGNoRANrLY or WILL
FULLY IGNORES the fact is behind the
times, doing injustice not only to his pa
TENTS but to himself as we'll.
The older forms OF current direct ano
indirectly are purely local, while with the
high-frequency machine, generating
thousands Of volts, with little or no dis
comfort to the patient, the treatment
becomes real, definite, scientific. II
goes immediately to the seat of the trou
BILE. 1t reaches the nerve centers, stim
ulates nutrition, promotes metab]oisn
and puts new life into the part. In fact
its apparent usefulness is limited only
by the number of abnormal conditions
The advantages Of the X Ray method
in differential diagnosis of complicated
fractures cannot be over estimated.
Where there are no pathonomonic symp-
toms of the same the X Ray here alone
is absolutely reliable, without any pain
or trouble to the patient, no delay and
allows an immediate diagnosis, tells alb
solutely all about the condition Of the