The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-02-22
MISCELLANY.
/" ELEoTRIoITYn NONSENSE AND
HUMBUG.


tised, based upon electricity magnet
ism, u "galvanism, etc, is incredible to any
one who has not watched the general news
paper advertising, and collected an assortment
of class of circulars now being daily dis
tributed throughout the country by the ton,
in the mails, from drug stores, shops, and in
various other ways. There are now heralded
electric or magnetic or galvanic bands, bat
teries, belts and brushes, pills, potions and
lotions, in infinite form and variety; while
electrical doctors y rival Egyptian frogs in
number AS the enormous expense of all the
above is kept up continuously, there must be
an immense number of people gulled into
paying the tax on their credulity-often at
the sacrifice of the comforts and even necessi-
ties of daily life.
There is some satisfaction in the fact that
most of these mechanical contrivances sold
are in themselves positively inert and useless,
and therefore not injurious while imagna-
lively sick people, and others with slight ner-
vous disorders, are soothed and comforted,
and sometimes actually cured through their
belief in the efficacy of the otherwise useless
nostrums. Take an illustration: Weknow
person in good position, of more than ordi-
nary intelligence on most other subjects, who
positively believes himself benefited by a
large horse-chestnut always carried in his
pocket To lose this, and be unable to get
another, would give him the blues, if not
bring on spell of actual sickness. Another
person, of like intelligence, has equal faith IN
a combination of copper and zinc, the size OF
a silver dollar, worn suspended from the neck,
and called an electric battery" though hav-
ing no more electrical or galvanic or magnetic
effect than so much silver iron, stone, or
wood-that is, no effect at all, save upon the
Imagination.
There are now half score or more varieties
and forms of the wonderfully be-puffed and
advertised electric things all equally nonsen-
steal and intrinsically useless so far as electro
cal or magnetic or galvanic effect is concerned.
A hair brush-costing so cents to So, accord
ing to the quality of bristles and handle--if
applied briskly to the head may, and often
will, have soothing effect and sometimes
relieve pain on the principle of counter
irritation, as noted last month page 159).
The effect may be heightened if the user can
only be persuaded that there is some electrical
or magnetic effect. This can easily be done,
with those not skilled in the science of cleo
tricity. Conceal in the handle or back of the
brush a slender steel magnet Tor even bit of
iron or steeD, and when the brush is brought
rot In nd
metal will disturb the needle, just as pocket
knife, or scissors, or nail, will attract and
move the needle of any compass. For appear
ance sake fine wire may be mingled with or
substituted for part of tho bristles, though
any wire in brush, however fine, we con-
slider too harsh for use upon the delicate cuti-
Gle that ought to always exist upon the human
head. 1t may do for the skin of a rhinoceros,
or the tough hide of some domestic animals.
While we dislike to see an extra price paid
for even good hair-brush, or for small
piece of combined metals, under a delusion as
to their having any magnetic or galvanic or
electric utility, the loss seldom amounts to
more than a dollar or two per individual.
This is partly offset by the fact that some peo-
pie are benefited through their Imagination.
And then, again, the enormous sums expend-
ed in advertising people into this faith, help
support several otherwise good religious pa
pers, to say nothing of good political ones.
With respect to the electric, magnetic or
galvanic pills, potions or medicines, aud the
more expensive actual electric batteries, the
case is different While the electric or mag
netic claims are sheer nonsense or worse, we
cannot too often warn all readers, that no one
is ever justified or safe in using any active
medicines of which be Tor his physician) does
not know the composition or effects and that
in his case the effects will be useful instead of
deleterious. To experiment here is danger
GUS. That "What is one mans meat is an
others poison, is always true Of any active
medicine. 1t may have happened to be useful
to person at one tims and yet be strongly
injurious at another time-even dangerous
No one unacquainted with the composition of
medicine, the particular action of its ingre-
dients, and his own exact complaint and con-
dition at the time, is safe in using any active
remedy except under the direction of trust
worthy, known physician, skilled in such
matters.
Galvanic electricity is set in motion by
chemical action, and magnetic electricity by
the motion of permanent magnets in q manner
to have opposite poles pass each other with
great rapidity. Either chemical or mechanical
action, kept up, is necessary to the continuous
development of electricity. This electricity
may, by proper arrangement, be passed through
the entire system, or any portion of it, and it
may be useful in certain cases, or 1t may have
a directly opposite effect. Only an intelligent
physician, on the spot to examine the patient,
and apply the electricity in the proper manner,
can decide as to its probable usefulness or
injury.
The entire class Of fixed combinations of
metals of whatever kind whether offered by
Boyd, Elias, or any one else whether called
q electric" 'galvanic," or magnetic :"
of American or foreign origin whe-
Their large or small; whether round or oblong,
OF. any other shape whether ornamented with
figures Of devils or an gels, with the
flames of Hadss or the iightnings of heaven