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| Rolled up x-ray prints |
While wandering through the archives just before the Christmas holidays, the two rolled up bundles shown above caught our attention. Written on one of the bundles was the word 'X-rays' while on the other one can make 'Mauser in abdomen...' On returning from the holidays it was decided to investigate further. And what a belated Christmas present we found!
All together there are 28 x-ray prints in fairly good condition. Not only that, the majority of them have details about the injury shown in the x-ray, where it happened, when it happened and how it happened written on the back. An archivist's delight! So when are the majority of these x-ray prints from you ask??
Black Week (10-17 December 1899) of the Second Boer War
The first print to be unfurled was the one with 'Mauser' written on it. The handwritten note states 'Mauser in abdomen - lodged in front colon - localised and extracted'. The print itself is below and another handwritten note at the bottom reads 'P[riva]te. Dundlebury 17.2.00'
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| X-ray print dated to 17 February 1900 |
Others have very detailed descriptions of what happened the soldiers. The following is written on the back of another print
'2nd Lt Cl Metaxa RSF.
Wounded at Pieter Hill Feb. 27
He was first wounded in the right leg. The tibia being fractures. This was a simple oblique fracture. While being carried away he was hit a second time in the right thigh. The range was probably 800 to 1000 yds. The entrance wound was external there were two wounds internally but these must have been caused by splinters of bone. The bullet lodged.
Suppuration supevened but the focus of suppuration was not the bullet. After prolonged treatment during which two operations to procure drainage were effected the suppuration subsided and the bone knited [sic].
The angle of impact here was nearly transverse, the range a longish one.'
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| Handwritten note giving details of 2nd Lt Cl Metaxa's injuries |
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| X-ray print showing 2nd Lt Cl Metaxa's injuries |
These x-ray prints, though containing valuable information about war wounds and their treatment, gives no indication as to who the surgeons was who owned or collected them. Another print with a long hand written note also had a drawing of exactly how the bullet had entered the soldier. Plus when it started with the sentence 'This wound was rather a surgical curiosity' we had to read further.
'Pte. S wounded at Colenso Dec 15
This wound was rather a surgical curiosity.
The bullet entered on the left side posterity and just beneath the iliac crest and in a line with the outer border of the erector spinae.
It pierced the ilium: traversed the sigmoid flexure: and the bladder: left the pelvis through the pubic arch into the right thigh, ran down this and lodged just behind the adductor tubercle whence it was extracted.
Fir the first week there was haematuria, general abdominal tenderness and distension which was very marked over the left iliac region and hypogastric region.
This eventually subsided and in three weeks after the injury he walked to the operating theatre to have the bullet removed.'
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| Handwritten note and drawing giving details of Pte S injuries |
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| X-ray print of Pte S injuries |
Patient stated that the range at which he was struck was 100 yds but from the fact that the bullet lodged he must have been in error.
The bullet entered [?] traversed the bone and turned a partial somersault.
Note the simple nature of the fracture. The bullet presumably striking at long range. Bullet was extracted: it was flattened at the point.'
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| Handwritten note giving details of Pte McQ's injuries |
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| X-ray print showing Pte McQ's injuries |
Boer prisoners were also treated for their wounds as can be seen in the handwritten note above. These x-ray prints are a great written and visual source of wounds inflicted in wars at the turn of the 20th century and of the methods and techniques used and developed by army surgeons in how to treat them.
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy