X-RAY USED ON ANIMALS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1929, Page 13

X-RAY USED ON ANIMALS

AN INTERESTING OPERATION. “It is only recently, that “X-ray pictures” or radiographs have been used to assist veterinary surgeons in their work but that such a method can be of vast assistance in discovering the cause of the trouble was demonstrated by Mr. W. Bell, radiologist, at Winton recently. A valuable bull housed on the Winton Experiment Area was suffering from a sinus, a bleeding wound, in the hoof, the cause of which it was difficult to ascertain and it was decided to take an X-ray photograph of the hoof. As far as is known this is the first time such a photograph has been taken of a bull in New Zealand and very little difficulty was experienced in obtaining the radiograph. Mr. Bell was accompanied by the Government veterinary surgeon, Mr. J. Danskin, who assisted him. The bull was radiographed standing in its byre in a comfortable position. The portable apparatus was connected to the electric light installation and was moved into position while a specially constructed screen was held behind the animal’s hoof. In a few moments two radiographs were taken from different angles. An injection was then made by Mr. Danskin and two more radiographs were taken. The whole operation did not occupy more than an hour. Later in the day the radiographs were developed and it was at once clear where the trouble lay, the detection being largely assisted by the injection. This is not the first radiograph which has been taken of an animal, Mr. Bell having previously X-rayed a horse which had a piece of metal in its foot, while he also showed a Southland News reporter most interesting radiographs of fish, ancluding an Atlantic salmon whose regularly formed spine and bones were fascinating. A brown trout and a rainbow were also included in the list of specimen radiographs, as was a clock, gladioli, a cat and a watch. The most interesting spectacle, however, was that of a human heart at work when, standing in his own apparatus, Mr. Bell manipulated it so that it was possible to see his liver and heart working.