Roentgen Rays - The Harmful Effects of the X-Ray

BY DR. F. S. KOLLE.

The editorial in the last issue of The Electrical Engineer on Mr. Tesla's investigations of the harmful effects of the X-ray is a very timely contribution to the literature of the subject.

It seems to be a peculiar fact that these harmful results or effects are kept from the eyes of experimenters, whereas in my estimation they should be recorded for the benefit of all. Even Tesla reluctantly cites a case of dermatitis, as having occurred in his laboratory. If we cannot receive the valuable inferences of such experimenters as Edison, Tesla, Thomson, etc., then we cannot expect to advance in perfecting this scientific discovery. It should therefore be the duty of every one to record such effects from time to time, as he deems valuable, without further consideration or question whether or not such report might harm or decrease the revenue, derived from the new art. It is self-evident that we must all profit thereby in the end.

Tesla divides the effects of the rays into four divisions, namely, thermal, electrical, electro-chemical and mechanical.

The thermal effect he believes to be shown by the injurious results produced, resembling exposure to heat; although no idea of the degree of heat of the particles is given, yet he says: "If we consider the probable velocities only, they correspond to temperatures which may be as high as 100,000 degrees Centigrade." That this thermal property exists, is certainly shown by the heat effects, such as reddening, pain and even blistering, when a part of the body is injudiciously brought too near an active tube. If this is true, then we are at a loss to demonstrate the transference of the temperature by any present known method.

2. That the rays exhibit certain electrical properties is readily shown by their power of discharging electrified bodies, in an exceedingly short space of time. I consider this in favor of the theory of Tesla that the rays owe their property to minute material particles. This electrical property might have some influence on the skin or part of body exposed. If these local currents are so strong or destructive they certainly resemble the high frequency current effect of Tesla, as no actual shock is experienced by such currents, yet these direct currents of extremely high potential show no hurtful action on the body.

3. If we are to believe that the rays exterior to the tube are made up of material particles of whatever nature, then it is possible that these particles may carry with them or are composed of an electro-chemical substance, and here Tesla holds that with the rays coming from a tube, whose reflectors or impact plate were made of aluminum, no hurtful effects were noted, claiming just the contrary for tubes containing platinum electrodes. This is certainly a most interesting study, and need not necessarily surprise us. I have rarely used focus tubes whose impact electrode consisted of aluminum. The tubes as used in my laboratory contain the usual concave mirror of aluminum and the platinum plate. The fact that the one is dangerous or more so than the other, can only be ascertained, in my belief, by such men as Tesla, Edison, Thomson, etc. For such study, and to develop sufficient evidence, large and complicated apparatuses are required which few are fortunate enough to possess. The usual outfit, that is, one that will answer all purposes medico-surgically, need be put of from 12 to 14 inches spark, capacity, and with such apparatus it would be quite impossible to obtain such results as Tesla gives us.

4. The theory of material particles holds good in the mechanical effects produced. It is quite likely that particles of whatever nature violently thrown against each other or the tissues of the body, must necessarily produce heat which may be sufficient to create tissue change. From the above conclusions of Tesla, we must always consider his theory of the nature of the rays, one or the other of his classifications would hardly hold, if other theories be advanced. Yet all these are plausible, and further results are eagerly awaited, as light in darkness, by thousands of experimenters. That the harmful action of the rays have been exaggerated, may be said to be true, when we consider the number of amateurs working in this enchanting art; most, with the exception of very few cases, would hardly have come to the ears of the eager public, who, believing all and considering none, only too readily condemn the entire work. And no wonder! It is but a short time ago I received a communication from Germany, where iodoform had been mistaken for pieces of glass in a man's arm and two operations were undertaken to remove same, where none actually existed. The radiogram showed a foreign body, but this happened to be the dressing applied to the wound in the arm. Such mistakes would not occur if responsible men undertook the work.

As the first experimenter in Brooklyn, and since February 4, 1896, I have had but one case of irritation of the skin and one of alopecia or baldness, resulting from exposure to the rays, during which time I have used tubes daily for hours at a time. The case of dermatitis, otherwise known as inflammation of the skin, was of mild type and under proper treatment abated in 12 days. The case of resulting baldness which is believed to be the first recorded in the world, was fully described in a previous number of The Electrical Engineer, and even here a complete recovery followed.

Yet, I have been called upon to treat numerous cases for other experimenters and in each case I was satisfied that the result was, to a great extent, due to too short a distance between the tube and part exposed. In fact, I have recently seen a case where a large gangrenous piece of the integument had to be removed. Such discharging and blistered wounds make up a great number of these painful affections. That they do not respond to treatment as quickly as diseases of similar nature, produced by other causes, is not true. No one would expect skin to grow under a layer of fine and gangrenous material. Instead, the acrid discharge retards and aggravates the conditions. Proper treatment is required to obtain a happy result.

But all this is not preventive. What shall be done as a prophylactic measure to protect the patient from such effects? Simply study your apparatus, know what it is capable of doing, know from experience the distance your tube should be placed from the body, know its value in emanations, and you will experience little trouble. A further preventive to protect the parts, as I have said in former papers, is the use of an unguentum, in the form of lanoline or vaseline, applied to the skin of the part to be exposed. This protects it from the powerful action of the ozone produced, which is known to be a powerful destructive agent of organic material. I have never felt any ill effects from the ozone generated by an induction apparatus; in truth, I feel better now than ever, and a slight post pharyngeal catarrh has disappeared during the last few moments of experimenting.

Moist dressings protect the parts as well as an ointment; this accounts for few bad effects in tissue by hospital radiographers, where injured members are usually dressed with moist dressings. Tesla uses a thin sheet or netting of aluminum connected to a condenser or the earth, as a collector of the electrical effects of the rays, being placed between the tube and the part exposed. That the interposition of such a metal products, can be readily felt by the amauradiscope which I have used in the experiments with the blind (N. Y. Med. Journ., Jan. 16, '97). By using such screen the peculiar strain felt in the region of the frontal lobes of the brain is not felt as much as with the usual fluoroscope. I believe the marked anæsthetic effects noted by early experimenters, were due to the continued and monotonous vibrations of the rheotome and need not necessarily be accredited to the rays, although the highly vibrated etheric waves may have some appreciable effect on the auditory nerve.

Distance and time of exposure need careful study, and I would advise all beginners rather to increase the time than to shorten the distance and less harmful results will be attained. Until we receive further convincing proof of preventives the above precautions can be relied upon with comparative safety.

216 Seventeenth street, Brooklyn, N. Y.