Art. VII. — Incandescent Lamps for Surgical and 

 Microscopical Purposes. 



By Robert E. Joseph, Esq. 



[Read 10th May, 1883.] 



I CLAIM your attention for a short time to-night to bring 

 under your notice two of the latest adaptations of the incan- 

 descent lamp for use in scientific research — namely, for 

 surgical and microscopical purposes. 



The use of electricity for producing light for surgical 

 purposes by heating inferior metals was attempted in 1851, 

 1853, 1854, and 1856 by various scientists. In 1867 Dr. Brack, 

 dentist, introduced an electric light apparatus for the use of 

 surgeons, &c, and a little later a Dr. Mullot, in France, made 

 a number of experiments in this direction, but with 

 apparently very little success, all the apparatus having been 

 so cumbersome to handle. 



Trouve, in 1879, introduced a more perfect apparatus, 

 using platinum wire, flattened in the middle, and kept in a 

 state of incandescence by means of a " Plante" secondary 

 battery. This, however, appears to have been only partially 

 successful. 



The chief causes of failure in the cases mentioned arose, 

 doubtless, from the use of troublesome and expensive 

 apparatus, rendered necessary by the employment of a metal 

 raised to incandescence with the unavoidable over-heating and 

 constant fusion of the wire. In the apparatus now brought 

 under your notice the metal wire has been replaced by a 

 carbon filament enclosed in a vacuum, and with ordinary 

 care there is very little danger of over-heating or breaking 

 it, some of the ordinary Swan lamps having been in use for 

 2000 hours. 



In the British Medical Journal for 27th. January, 1883, 

 which I have no doubt has already been seen by many of 

 our members, there is a paper on "The Illumination of 

 Internal Cavities by Means of the Electric Light," by Dr. 

 Oliver and J. B. Payne, from which I will merely read the 

 following extract : — 



" Mr. Payne's report. — Leiter's arrangement contains an 

 •electric lamp in which platinum wire is heated by means 



