Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-21
X-RAY FILM GASES
STUDIED BY ARMY
Use in U. S. Hospitals May
Hinge on Investigation
Now Underway.

Whether the general hospitals OF the
Army will continue their present use
OF infiammable XRay films such as
caused the recent disaster at the CleVe-
land clinic, 1t was learned today, may
depend upon the results OF an lnVeStl-
CATION into the poison gases OF films by
the Chemical Warfare Service at Edge
wood Arsenal.
Mai. Gen. Harry L. Gilchrist. director
of the service. who was on the board
of inquiry at Cleveland, is at Edgewood
today, in charge of the War Depart
ment'S investie alton. Approximately
2 600 infiammable Ray films now In
storage at the Army dispensary in the
Munitions Building are to be shipped
by truck to Edgewood Arsenal tomor-
row for use in the experiments being
conducted there.
Kept In FireprOOf Cabinets.
No secret is made of the fact at the
War Department that stores OF these
infiammable films are kept on hand in
fireproof cabinets at Walter Reed Hos
pital and at the dispensary in the
Munitions Building. Government clerks
In the latter building have been work.
ing daily during the past year with
between 400 and 500 pounds OF films
in adjoining rooms.
The Surgeon Generals Office of the
Army. through its division OF finance
and supply, has requested the New York
Medical Supply Depot to prepare cir
cular advertisements for the 1880 re-
quirementS Of X-ray films. The Army
uses approximately $4,000 worth OF
these films annually in its general hos
pitfalls.
Bids are to be asked on the old style
Of films and the Sn-callnd nOp- in n a
mable kind, and it is expected these
circulars will be issued during the next
few days. Action on the bids them
selves it Is understood. may await the
report on the Investigations being con-
Quoted at Edgewood.
Infiammabls Film Cheaper.
Since the infiammable films are
cheaper than the non-nfiammable, 1t
was said, the former usually comprise
the bulk Of X-ray films In general use
at Army hospitals. under the ruling Of
the controller general that the lowest
bid be accepted II the material meets
with the required conditions.
This is not an ironclad rule however
in the case Of X-ray films, as some OF
the supplies have been non-infiammable
films The Army X-ray experts say
the new films do not give all the i'm
portant detailed information desired
and for this reason the old celluloid
film is regarded as the best for surgical
use.
There is no definite reason beyon
that, it was explained, why the nom
infiammable film cannot be used. and
in view of the recent Cleveland disaS-
ter Ii was believed at the surgeon gen
erals Office that the controller would
not require strict application of the
lowest bid" rule.
Very little Of the inflammable ma
terial is now on hand at Walter Reed
Hospital, it is believed, in view OF in
structions given last March by the sur
geon generals Office looking TO the dis
posal of useless films. A New York firm
offered to buy from the Army at cents
a pound old films for salvage purposes
The hospital has disposed of much OF
its stores in this manner.
X-ray films form important medical
records, 1t was said. which cannot all be
destroyed For this reason 1t is neces-
sary to retain most of the films now in
storage at the various hospitals.