Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-08-16
lOUTftspDhdHnceo OF lne Now I OK POst.
Electricity VS.. Mercury.

Electricity VS.. Mercury.
BLAUvELTvILLE, Rockland Co N. Y, Ju-
/ ly IA, l55j.- There appeared in the Evening
Post 0: the lO:h inst, an extra Of the Ohio
! State Journal in relation to the treatment Of
mercuriulized patients by electricity.
/ This treatment is iuI y signa'iz'd by the
Journal as great discovery, tie glory OF
which is awarded TO Doctors Youmans and
Selzer, of oIumbus, Ohio.
Mr.. August Partz, however,, q professor 10
Mineralogy aud Chemistry, and at present an
assi' slant editor ofthe Mining Magazine, made
the same discovery, nearly or quite year ago,
and is beyond doubt entitled to the distinction
of being The very first to apply to the gayan-
ic electric element in the cure of salvation.
The CAsE.-Mr Friedemann, a German m-
ring engineer OF Union County, n. c., was
attacked with congest:ve chlls in the month
of July, 1854 the third spell Of which in the
dialect OF the South, is "eckoned' extrem "
dangerous. Mr. Friedemann being at the
house of planter, and having no regular
physician, there WAS administered to him, ac-
cordiRg to the common custom Of the country,
large quantities of mercury, in the form Of ca,-
lett The patient badly salivated.
When Mr.. Plrtz first saw Fredemann, he
was scarcely able to articuIate, and was suf-
iering from severe pains in the head, pariic-
ularly in the jaws, which had been bruken.-
NJ Partz says that Immediate " upon behold
ing the condition OF Frrdemann, tn. ques-
ton arose n his mind if it is possible by'
means of the electric huit to extract any me-
ruitiU subu- - ..ih-r-pi-..
in vessel, may it not also be possible, by
the same means, to extract the marcury iro,H
the human vessel!
The hypothesis seemed TO him plausible,
g. unopposed by any theoretical objections, aud
he therefore resolved practically to test the
value of he suggestion. That this might be |
done, M Friedemann was speedily removed
to Charlotte, where Mr.. Parz had a galv inic !
battery, we'll suited to his purpose, ana the
experiment of extracting the mercury was
successively tried in th' presence Of (ncr-d-
u lous) M. Graham, an officer of the United
States mint If that place.
Me- Ptrz took a single element of a
Bunsen battery (coal and znc) the zinc cyl.
iader which is about nine inches high and sew
inches in diameter. Silver coin was attach
ed to either pole or battery, and placed in the
mouth Of the patient, one on either side, be-
tween the cheek und the jaw. Lett thus
faw minutes the positive pole WAS taken from
the n outh and placed in the hand, and again
in few mirutes changed to the mouth, and
so on alternatiVely, during half hour, when
the coin on the negative pole vas removed
from the mouth and found to be covered with
a heavy coating of amalgam!.
On the morning !ollowin this very salts.
factory experiment, the application was again
mude--this time behind the ears of the patient
At the expiration of forty minutes, the neg
ative had produced blister, whence eXuded
yellowish white matter and at last a very
small quantity of blood, when the coin was
removed, and again found, as before coated
with amalgam .
In the first ex7e -iment the coins were used
uncovered, and Friedemunn was almost en-
tiroly free from pain at its expiration. Du-
ring the second application, the coin were
enveloped in welted linen. On the day upon
which the last experiment wGs tried, (erperi-
ment, now no longer,)M Mr.. Friedcmann RETURN
ed to his duties at the line, and has not since
discovered any indication Of the presence of
mercury in his system! 4'his discovery, so
simple in it's principles and easv ofapplicntion,
is destined to be hailed with accamations Of
thanksgiving by thousands suffering from that
terrible and and hitherto. incurable maiady-
a mercuralzed system.
Should any of the readers of the Post desire
to test by experiment The efficacy g. practical
blityof this remedy, let them observe the fol-
lowing:
Your battery should consist oronly one or two
large elements, So as TO produce the required
quantity of electricity. To produce chemic.
al action you must have quantity. To act
physoogically or upon the nervous system,
intensity is required One is obtained by
single large element-the other by multiply
ing the elements.
The proper apparatus secured, common
sense will suggest to nearly every one the
proper Place for the application and The time
! necessary f r the effect.
These observations and directions hre, Of
course INTENDED only for the nom professional.
Hoping this discovery will attraot from the
profession, also, that attention which It's trans
cendant importance SO manilestly demands,
remain very uy yours,
d. c, SrUReEs.
! ~~~-~
The Governor of New-York has commuted
the sentence ofdeath passed upon Mrs. Robin
son, the famous "veied murderess" Of Troy,