An Improved Apparatus for Detecting and Determining the Position of Fragments of Metal, Bullets, and the like, in the Human or Animal Body.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Detecting and Determining the Position
of Fragments of Metal, Bullets, and the like, in the Human or
Animal Body.
I WILLIAM SIMSON PRATT of 18 Victoria Street Westminster in the County
of Middlesex Surgeon Lieutenant Colonel Army Medical Staff, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
―
The object of this invention is to provide a simple portable and efficient apparatus
to be used by surgeons and others for probing wounds and determining whether
hard substances found therein are bone or metal.
Hitherto various attempts have been made to construct probes which shall
indicate the nature of the body encountered by the end thereof with more or less
success.
For example bullet probes have been made with white earthenware or china tops
which on coming in contact with a leaden bullet would be blackened or otherwise
marked by the metal. These probes are however unsatisfactory inasmuch as if the
wound is caused by a fragment of iron shell the end of the probe would not be
discoloured, and again if the wound is bleeding freely the discolouration caused by
contact with a piece of lead is liable to be washed off.
Now according to this invention I cause the end of an ordinary metal probe on
coming in contact with any metal substance to cause crepitation noises in a
telephone receiver worn by the operator.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a telephone receiver which is
attached to a strap, metal band or bands or other suitable device for holding the
same to the ear of the operator without the necessity of using his hands for this
purpose. To the telephone receiver terminals are attached two wires or cables one of
which is also attached to an electric battery constructed as hereinafter described
and the other wire or cable has secured to the free end thereof a metal clip or
clamp in which is held a metal probe.
The battery I prefer to use is composed of a cylinder of vulcanite or other
insulating material round which is wrapped two semicylindrical plates of copper
and two similar plates of zinc leaving a space between each plate that is to say a
plate of copper and a plate of zinc are secured to each end of the vulcanite
cylinder leaving spaces between each copper and zinc plate forming a cell and
a much wider space between each cell.
The cells are connected together for intensity. The terminals at the opposite
end of the battery to that to which the telephone wire is attached is connected to a
third wire or cable having a clamp or clip at the free end thereof to receive a
metal electrode.
To use the apparatus it is only necessary to wrap round each cell of the battery
a piece of cloth, lint or other fabric moistened with salt, vinegar or any other
saline or acid solution or the battery may be held in the hands of the patient or an
assistant as either the perspiration from the body or moistened hands is or are
sufficient to set the battery working.
The operator places the telephone receiver to his ear clamps a metal probe to
the other telephone wire and a pair of bullet forceps or any other metal article

page_text: such as a key for example or a wet sponge to the clip on the battery wire to form
an electrode and places this electrode in the patients mouth or in close contact
with any other convenient part of his body previously moistening the metal
electrode if necessary to ensure good electrical contact with the skin. The
operator then probes the wound with the metal probe and so long as the probe only
touches bone and tissue the result is nil, but as soon as the probe comes in contact
with metal crepitating noises are heard in the telephone receiver.
By this means the surgeon is enabled to unerringly determine whether the probe
is in contact with metal or no.
It is obvious that any metal article which is small enough to enter the wound
and long enough to reach the object which caused it may be used to serve as a
probe.
The probe may be attached to either the battery or the telephone wire.
Dated this 14th day of June 1895.
T. E. HALFORD,
11 Furnival Street, Holborn, E.C., Agent for Applicant.
An Improved Apparatus for Detecting and Determining the Position
of Fragments of Metal, Bullets, and the like, in the Human or
Animal Body.
I WILLIAM SIMSON PRATT of 18 Victoria Street Westminster in the County
of Middlesex Surgeon Lieutenant Colonel Army Medical Staff, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple portable and efficient
apparatus to be used by surgeons and others for probing wounds and determining
whether hard substances found therein are bone or metal.
Hitherto various attempts have been made to construct probes which shall
indicate the nature of the body encountered by the end thereof with more or less
success.
For example bullet probes have been made with white earthenware or china tops
which on coming in contact with a leaden bullet would be blackened or otherwise
marked by the metal. These probes are however unsatisfactory inasmuch as if the
wound is caused by a fragment of iron shell the end of the probe would not be
discoloured and again if the wound is bleeding freely the discoloration caused by
contact with a piece of lead is liable to be washed off.
Now according to this invention I cause the end of any ordinary metal probe on
coming in contact with any metal substance to cause crepitation noises in a
telephone receiver worn by the operator."
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a telephone receiver which is
attached to a strap metal band or bands or other suitable device for holding the
same to the ear of the operator without the necessity of using his hands for this
purpose. To the telephone receiver terminals are attached two wires or cables one
of which is also attached to an electric battery constructed as hereinafter described
and the other wire or cable has secured to the free end thereof a metal clip or
clamp in which is held a metal probe.
The battery I prefer to use is composed of a cylinder of vulcanite or other
insulating material round which are wrapped two semicylindrical plates of copper
. and two similar plates of zinc leaving a space between each plate that is to say a

page_text: plates of copper C C' the plate Z being connected to the binding screw or other
terminal P and the plate C to the binding screw or terminal q. These
connections may be made by forming a tongue or strip t on each plate C Z on
which the bases of the binding screws bear and which are in electrical contact
therewith.
Spaces are left between each plate the spaces between each cell being wider
than the space between each pair of plates forming a cell. Between the
plates CZ is a strip of copper or other suitable material u soldered or otherwise
secured to the said plates connecting the two plates electrically the whole
arrangement of insulator and zinc and copper plates as shewn forming a battery of
two cells coupled in series for intensity.
The battery may be excited by means of strips of cloth lint or other suitable
material wetted with an alkaline or acid solution such as salt and water or vinegar
and water or by moist hands.
The projections v. v. are insulators to prevent the bands or strips of material
used to excite the battery from touching each other thereby avoiding short
circuiting.
To use the apparatus the operator probing the wound places the telephone to
his ear securing it there by the baud he then clamps a metal probe n to the
wire by means of the clamp he also clamps an electrode preferably a bullet
forceps w or it may be a key or any other suitable conductor of electricity.
The electrode is placed in the patients mouth or otherwise placed in electric
contact with his body the patient or an assistant holds the battery in his hands
or it may be excited by the moistened strips of cloth lint or other fabric herein-
before described.
The operator then probes the wound with the metal probe and so long as it only
touches bone or tissue the result is nil but as soon as it comes in contact with a
bullet fragment of shell or other metal body the electrical circuit is completed and
crepitating noises are heard in the telephone.
The foreign body having been found may be extracted in the usual way by the
forceps or otherwise.
The clips or clamps for holding the probe and electrode may be constructed as
shewn at Figs. 6 and 7 in which G H are two pieces of metal shaped as shewn
secured in a metal base I to which is connected one end of the electric wire or
other conductor to the telephone or battery the jaws of the clip or clamp are
closed by the screw K and opened by the elasticity of the metal forming the said
jaws. Instead of the battery shewn any other suitable portable source of electric
energy may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. An apparatus for detecting and determining the position of fragments of
metal, bullets and the like in the human or animal body consisting of a telephone
receiver adapted to be mechanically secured to the ear of the operator in
combination with electric conductors connecting the said receiver to a metal probe
and a battery or other suitable source of electrical energy and an electrical
conductor connecting the said source of electrical energy to a bullet forceps or any
other suitable electrode all substantially as herein before specified and for the
purpose stated.
2. In an apparatus for detecting and determining the position of fragments of
metal, bullets and the like in the human or animal body the battery consisting of
plates of zinc and copper secured to a rod of vulcanite or other suitable insulator
substantially as hereinbefore specified and shewn by Figs. 2. 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In an apparatus for detecting and determining the position of fragments of
metal, bullets and the like in the human or animal body the combination of an

page_text: electric battery constructed as hereinbefore described and claimed in Claim 2 with
an electrode and a telephone receiver electrically connected with the terminals of
the said battery and a metallic probe electrically connected to the telephone
receiver all substantially as herein before specified.
4. The construction of apparatus for detecting and determining the position of
fragments of metal, bullets and the like in the human or animal body substantially
as shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of March 1896.
T. E. HALFORD,
11 Furnival Street, Holborn, E.C., Agent for Applicant.