The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-01-19
ELECTRICITY CURES NEURALGIA

The Migratory Principle Applied 10 the
Head b. an Electrical Helmet.
Among all the methods more or less
odd in appearance applied TO the treat
ment Of nervous diseases, there are few
more original than the one that has been
employed for some time at the Salpe-
triere by Professor Charcot. II IS the
treatment by mechanical vibrations
There Is a serious disease Of the nery-
ous system. characterized by an iUces-
sant trembling Of the hands. Il STOPPING
attitude and an odd gait. that makes it
seem a. If the invalid WAS going 10 pre-
cipitate himself head foremost. II l.
the trembling palsy. also called Parkiu-
sons disease, a sort Of painful nervous
disorder that deprives the unfortunate
who is afflicted with il Of rest and sleep.
Mr.. Charcot long time ago learned
from some invalIds who We're troubled
with this inlirmity that they derived de-
cided relief from long rides on a railroad
or in Il carriage The more the vibra-
tons caused in the compartments by the
train running at full speed, and the more
the carriage was jolted over IN uneven
pavement, the more the relief expert
enced At the end Of days journey
thev felt better and experienced an mex
prcssible comfort. One Of them con
ceived the idea Of having himself
wheeled about for hours in one Of those
heavy carts used for carrying paving
stones Contrary 10 the experience OF
all travellers. those afflicted with trem.
bling palsy felt fresher and more active
on alighting from the cars. The longer
the trip lasted, and the worse the line,
| the1nore durable was their improvement
Such testimony, coming from various
| aources, was not lost. 1t was for Mr.
| Charcot the starting point Of most
| curious therapeutical application. Mr.
| Charcot had an armchair constructed
to which to and fro motion was giver
/ by means of an electrical windlass
| Long before the invention of the vibrat
/ ing armchair DR.. Figouroux conceive,
the idea OF submitting hysterical patients
TO the vibration of a huge tuning fork
IN This way he cured an9sthesias anC
muscular stiff joints. Other physicians
Boudet. Of Paris, and Mortimer, 0
Granville. applied vibrating rods to tn
treatment Of neuralgias facial neuralgia
in particularly and headaches Granvill
devised a small electric hammer, anal
ogous 10 the hammer of electric bells
and that was applied to the painful
point Under the Influence Of the shock
repeated hundreds of times within
short period. the pain ceased.
The method was some time ago singU
larly improved by DIR. Gillis de la Toul
cite, pupil Of Mr. CharcOt. He had a
apparatus constructed for the treatmen
Of megrims and nervous headaches;
was the vibrating helmet. Imagine
helmet Of the model of that of old time
and very analogous. as 20 structure, I
The conformation of haUters. II Is !
fact formed of steel plates that perm
Of its fitting the head perfectly. Upo
this helmet, i'll lieu of crest, there Is
small alternating current motor Of p
!, culiar construction that makes ab0y
800 revolutions per minute. At ever
revolution a uniform vibration is prop
gated TO the metallic plates, and Is tran
plitted to the Uranium that they embrac
/ L he GtdlaAtsl " tt4AS Jus
eiIstilole' ',,..Vttied to the entire cerebr
a..ji..tb,sratus. The sensation i not Iii
Il agreeable. The number and intensi
| of the vibrations, moreover, may
5 varied according to the tolerance Of Il
subject In few minutes sort of &c
eral lassiJude is experienced, with
: tendency to sleep.
The vibrating helmet has already be-
applied TO a large number Of neura
tleEc invalids. the majority of who
t have experienced good results from
f The process succeeds also against hen
, crania, and as this Is quite comm
l affection, for which no surely efhcaciO
= remedy Is known, the helmet will il
=. short time he seen 10 come into vogue.
Nature.