Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1881 — Apparatus by Which the Interior of a Man’s Stomach can be Viewed. [ARTICLE]

Apparatus by Which the Interior of a Man’s Stomach can be Viewed.

Physicians have long been in possession of instruments—commonly small mirrors—designed to assist them in getting a look at the interior parts of the human body, such as the back part of the mouth, the throat, the inner ear, etc. The dentist’s mirror perehelion, a flexible joint, is familiar to all. But it has long been desirable to penetrate to the stomach of a pitient afflicted with gastric troubles and see by actual inspection what is its condition. Thus may often be gained during the life of a man the valuable information obtained at present by post-mortem examination for the mortuary report, and what has hitherto served too late to gratify the curiosity of the doctor may go to saving the life of his patient—in a word, the means to diagnose the condition of the stomach by sight rather than guessing, has long beep wanted, and Herr Leiter, of Vienna, patented an instrument designed to supply the want. The gastroscope, says an exchange, is an electric lantern and mirror combined, which, fixed upon the end of a flexible tube, is inserted bodily into the stomach, being passed down the throat of the patient with its equipment of wires for producing the electric light. The lantern is a small, hollow glass globe containing the plantinum coil which, when heated by a current of electricity, is to produce the illumination of the interior of the stomach. It is made double, so that no heat can be communicated to the stomach, and to make it the more sure, the space between the inner and outer globe is kept supplied with a current of cold water by means of two small India rubber tubes inclosed in the main tube. The tissues of the human body are comparatively translucent, and when the current of electricity is turned on the internal organization, it is said, becomes distinctly visible. The experiment of illuminating the interior of fish has often been performed by amateur electricians, the straight lines and simple structure of the. fish facilitating the introduction of the apparatus. What is really novel, therefore, in Herr Leiter’s apparatus reremains to be described. It is the addition he makes of a series of mirrors and lenses by means of which the light coming from the illuminated stomach is sent back up the tube to which the lantern is attached, and, reaching the eye-piece outside the patient’s body, is viewed by the surgeon. But a small portion of the surface of the stomach is thus brought into our view, it is true, but it is enough from which to make a diagnosis. If a broader field is desired to be covered it is done by revolving the lantern. By the agency of a little notched wheel with teeth playing into a ring in the interior of the tube, the whole lower part or the apparatus may be revolved without the necessity of withdrawing it for a new adjustment. Though but little known as yet, this instrument has been put, it is said, to the test of practical use, and we can scarcely doubt that it will soon come to form a recognized part of the stock of instrument in the hands of every surgeon. Happily for Herr Leiter’s invention, its introduction into general use has been rendered possible by M. Faur’s secondary battery for restoring electricity. Without the latter the gastroscope could have but limited use, since to obtain the high degree of light required, a very strong galvanic battery would have been needed, and such a battery few physicians possess and care to bother with. As it is, one large Faur’s cell, which the physician can readily carry with him in his buggy, is all that is needed for intro-gastric diagnosis.