Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-02

country. The speaker noted in he
ginning that although the use of the
ray dates back only Is years. the ap
plicaton in its development has been
nothing short of marvellous in many
and varied branches OF medical science.
. The work In this country began almost
before the ink of the announcement
kilograms WAS dry; 1t. was one OF the
great discoveries for which, the world
was ripe. and with exceeding unanim-
ity no one questioned. but all set 1T
work, each one to discover its ap-
plicability to hisown spceialties.
"Preconceived ideas Of the Roentecn
ray" said the speaker in his introduce
tfpn "even in the minds Of intelligent
persons are singuiarly distorted.
Many believe it Ia be an intensely
strong light and possessing its powers
Of penetration BY virtue Of this
strength. But its differences from
| ordinary light are many and marked.
| The X-rays themselves are invisible.
and their presence and effect can be
determined only through the medium
ship of certain chemical substances
which become influenced by. them. The
rays arc not subject to Ordinary re-
| lltctloil anu itii ttSli'II. hCS NiAi nv
pass through glass nearly so we'll as
through the metal aluminium, for OK
ample.
| The story of diagnosis, however.
concerns itself less at present with the
relative penetrabilitics of inorganic
| substances by the X-raY. hut with
those Of the various tissues Of the hu-
man body. The water in the tissues,
-
in determining their resistance.
1T was early discovered that the "
rays have a property similar to those
of light in affecting the sensitive coat
ing OF the Photographic plate. This
has made it possible to record on such
a plate the relative opacity or trans
lluccny to the rays of the substances
exposed to them. This made the early
pictures OF the coin in the purse, the
ring on the finger etc, at once ia
milar and suggested the opinion then
that the application of the X-rays was
TO be confined to the determinations OF
fractures of bones and the presence OF
foreign bodies in the tissues. The
quickly gained familiarity with the de-
termination of fractures led to fur
thcr Investigations on bone. and it was
found that the invasion of disease. in
volv ing n change in the normal bone
structure, is as easy to observe as Is
fracture. This opened Immediately
an enormous field tn the investigator,
namely, the effect of tuberculosis upon
, the bones and joints. to say nothing of
, the accurate determination of bone
, abscess and bone decay brought on by
the more active and violent pus-prO-
/ lucing bacilli. BY this news and ac-
, curate means of diagnosis it was dis
covered that many cases considered to
, be tuberculosis of the bone were in
{ reality not tuberculosis at all. In
vestigations and fresh findings in cases
Of joint disease have given rise to en-
tirely new opinions upon the nature of
rheumatism, govt and long line of in
v fectious invasions of the joints from
n many sources. Through the light
= shed by the X-ray the old chronic
n rhcumatism has been subdivided intt
G no less than five separate entities" =.
= The speaker reverted to the subjec,
= of fracture, noting briefly and by
: means of lantern projections how tho
{. surgeon in these days is actually able
q to see the. fracture and after the
n operation to note precisely the con-
f 1ition and quality of the repair. As
:. the result of the improved knowledge
: marked deformity from faulty union Of
n bone is seldom now to be seen.--BoS.
10 ton Transcript.