Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-13
RIG FIELD FOR WOMEN
4 AS X-RAY WORKERS
nr. Mabel Haines Tells Of
Great Progress Made in
Diagnosing Disease
FEMININE EFFICIENCY
Modern Methods Have Reduced DAN
ger and Won Laurels for
Pioneers

There Is no need for X-ray martyrs,
su, there is great need fo~ X-ray
,,ovters. according TO DR.. Mabel Sum-
,u,r Haines. chief Roentgenolog " at the
woman's Hospital. as well as assistant
:, the Jefferson Hospital.
.rhe idea of danger in working with
IN. x-ray is a mistaken one There Is
..,,narativeiy little now. For Just as
s.,,ors who work with germ cultures
,row the accompanying dangers and
,r.oare for them, so do we In the work
wvh the X-ray." Doctor Haines said
=, her trim black dress, topped by a
-..,,b of golden hair and keen blue
.v.s. Il was hard TO associate this slen-
, Az, eirlish woman with the responsible
,,,.. Of her position. Upon her skill and
-. twist Of a finger depend the lives
"a happlness Of the patients who come
a her for X-ray pictures Of their vari-
40. wounds and Affections. The science
~, progressed so far In the last ten
.rs that a diagnosis OF virtually any
disease can be made through N-ray
pictures -, ,u,
.we workers protect ourselves from
,bs powerful effects Of the rays ny
,,s.ns of lead In taking an ordinary
r,c,ure we do not operate the machine
,ror the room. but are separated by
LA wall and look at the patient through
,..ded glass and speak to him through
/. sneaking tube. In cases OF stomach
examination II is necessary TO nave the
,,,ch,ne in the room. but I protect my
..v with a lead apron and gloves. In
,,a early days Of its discovery the doc
tors often received burns which result
~ IN cancers from the continued work
With the rays, but that Is thing OF
the past" - Do,,or
Haines talked as she worked ";th her
.s,,lsd hands on the controller. which Is
ssasubat like that on trolley car, only
az much larger and more complex, she
,oot nicture after picture of various por-
lt,ons of the bodies of men and women.
Some were suspected of having tubercu-
iosis others unwarranted pressure on
some nerve or a splintered bone.
OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN
"r, offers a fine opportunity to women
noctor Haines continued. The work Is
sssv COMPARED with most work OF a
nhys.cian and it Is intensely interesting.
peing a comparatively new branch OF
rsdc,ne there are very few women rep
rsssnted in t. but as the men are being
ttsken TO the front. there Is an ever
Increasing demand for women to carry
on the work
ITO be able really to diagnose the
cases and make reports on the plates
one must be a graduate OF n medical
school For the technical part Of oper.
ating the machine ana taking the pic
ture, this - not necessary. ] believe
there are a number Of women now quail.
tying as technicians."
When asked how many real Roentgen'
ologists there were. she apologetically
admitted that she only knew of one Other
In Pennsylvania. ut Is because the
ONCE apparatus for x-ray work Is quite
expensive" Doctor Haines explained
'Then again It IS like all specialist work
II takes a long while before there are
any returns for your work. 1t is COM
Ing thing, however, and will be used
more and more.
II want to urge women to take up the
work." she earnestly continued There
will be SO much rebuilding OF men and
women after the war that the H-ray
will be Indispensable. While 1t Is rather
minute, specialized work, II is not any
more trying than other work: in fact Is
not 30 hard. ! get very tired at times
but then don't blame my work but my
self"
Doctor Haines has other cares, for sh,
10 that modern combination of profes
sional woman and mother who Is be
rnning to make herself felt In American
business as well as In politics. With he
ssyen-year-old twins she has just re
turned from a visit to her husband, wh'
y with the Government committee 70
the study Of tuberculosis In the arm,
Il camps.