The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-08-18
ELECTRIC REMEDY.
That Wicked Theft:

| From Halls journal OF Health, April, 1851
just as we go to press we receive a copy OF
| the Cincinnati DAILY STAR, containing an ad-
vertisement which covers precisely half page
| of that paper, and which emanates from the
Volta Belt Company" Of Cincinnati. 1t ap-
pears that the ''Yolta Belt Company is trou-
bled because in our issue for January, 1876, wa
characterized their shameless distortion OF an
editorial which we wrote in our number fol
April, 1875, as "A Wicked Theft" and that
they now seek to escape the penalty
always attaching to unfair conduct, by de-
crying the standing and influence of the JOUR-
NAL OF HEALTH We do not care to allude to
this Belt Company again, having already
stated in substance that we were compelled to
| look with suspicion upon a concern which
could SO far subvert our meaning by the Omis-
| sion Of important words when claiming to
quote our language, as to make us appear ia
be bearing testimony to the value Of the appli-
ances which they manufacture. 1t mattera
very little what opinion these belt persons may
hold of the JOURNAL; it is Of great Importance
| to all right minded men that our utterancea
should not be wrested from their plain intent,
and made to seemingly foster and sustain that
| to us utterly unknown quantity, the Volta Belt
| Company Of Cincinnati.
| The trouble appears to be that when We
| discussed the subject OF electrical action and
| it's application to diseased conditions, in our
| April, 1885, issue, we spoke some commenda-
| tory words of the appliances made by Mr. e. j.
| Sebert, of this city. These belts, and bands,
and shoe-sOles we had used in several cases.
and from their use excellent results had fol-
lowed. We believe we were doing our readers
a real service in explaining the uses and adj
vantages Of these simple and inexpensive in
struments at time when, as never before,
the minds Of the medical profession are active
| ly engaged in discussing the value of the vari-
GUS methods Of inducing the electrical phe-
nomena, and employing the power of this
subtle and mysterious agent in the healing
processes We have examined scores of
electrical disks ana chains and belts from
Pulvermacher's down, and we are bound to de-
clare that the same principle is involved in all
of them To claim that the chain OF Pulver-
macher embodies any principle or exhibits any
power which SieDefPs goods do not is the
sheerest folly. In this view we are abundantty
sustained by many medical writer's. That able
medical publication, the New York Physician
and Pharmacist" in its Issue OF November
last, speaks as follows: "lhe Pulyermacher
chain, which has received the dis inguished
appreciation OF Sir Charles LocOck and other
European scientists. is largely used in En-
gland, and, as the Armadillo per orms the
| same functions and presents tine same princi-
pies, only in a more convenient form, the, @ is
no reason why 1t should not attain the same
celebrity here" ...
SO far as we have examined and tested the
electric appliances Of many Makers we DIS
cover no difference in power or in results.
SeIbert's goods have some advantages; they
are Oh very convenient shape, are easily ap-
Piled ard com ortably worn, and are quito
reasonable in prize We have seen good
Imany sufferers from painful neuralgIc affec-
tions and distressing nervous disorders who
assert that these ARTICLES of eeIbert's-to which
| he has given the general name of "Voludc
| Armadilon-haye rendered signal and lasting
service. Physicians innumerable nave em-
ployed them and testify to their efficacy. They
are probably as gOod as anything Of the kind
| can Ue, and will do all that ought to be ex-
pected Of such appliances.
| These Cincinnati belt people take great
pains, and occupy much space to show that
when HALLS. JOURNAL says a good Wo d for
| Sebert's goods, it does it in spite of the adj
verse opinions of writers in the POPULAR
s. IENcE MONTHLY. and the PHILADELPHIA
| MEDICAL AND SURGICAL REPORTER. This
| might all be true, and yet we should not con-
| slider it our duty to adopt the conclusions Of
persons who have not, it may be, given the
| subject as careful investigation as Il has re-
| ceived at our hands: We fnd in tho
POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY of March
| 1916, page 6S9, an editorial ad-
i UllSblOu Cudb dllublOuS 10 INC AIIudulIlO
| previous issne were made without any direcE
| knowledge Of the appliance. This Is. Of course.
| a complete retraction of any previous criticism.
| upon the instruments. The article in the
| PHILADELPHIA MEDICAL AND SURGICAL RE-
PoRTEn was published In the absence of the
| editor, who had never even seen the "Arna.
| dillon 1t was prepared by party in the in-
| terest of rival house. This was the statement
| Of the editor OF the REPORTER to another editor
| In New York. OF course, loose statements thus
uttered will have little effect when weighed
with mature judgment, based upon thought-
| full, intelligent and long continued investiga-
ton.
But this unhappiness on the part OF the Cin-
cinnati belt personages is a matter of no con-
| Germ to the public. Suffering humanity only
asks what it shall do to be saved from ayoid-
able pain, and it is very likely to accept the
| answer which may be youchsafed by the tried
and reputable. We utter no ''puffs;" the LAM
| guage OF flattery is dead tongue to us. We
| try TO speak the truth, let help or harm who-
ever it will. And with the simpla
thought uppermost in our minds that Mr. Sei-
bert and his goods have been unjustly at
tackled and that what we were impeiled to say
in their behalf has been employed after dis.
tortion, TO give credence and popularity 20 a
device uf which we know nothing, we are inn.
PEELED to say that we have found the Voltaio
Armadillo valuable appliance in those cases
in which continuous electrical current has
seemed to be indicated.