The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-04-11
NEURALGIA CURE.
The vibratOry Principle Applied to the
Head by . vibratory Helmet.

he vibr.tory Principle Applied to the
Head by = vibrAtory Helmet.
Among all the methods, more or
less old in appearance applied to the
treatment Of nervous diseases. there
are few more original than the one
that has been employed for some time
at the Saltpetriere by Professor Char
cot The Scientific American says 1t
is the treatment by mechanical vibra-
tions
There is a serious, disease OF the
nervous system, characterized by an
incessant trembling of the hands, a
STOPPING attitude and an odd gait
that makes it seem as il the invalid
was going to precipitate himself
headforemost 1t is the trembling
palsy. also called Parkinson's disease.
q sort of painful nervous disorder
that deprives the unfortunate who is
afflicted with it of rest and sleep.
Mr.. Charcot long time ago learned
from some invalids who were troubled
with this infirmity that they derived
decided relief from long rides on a
railroad or in a carriage. The more
the vibrations caused in the com
partments by the train running at
full speed and the more the carriage
was jolted over an uneven pavement
the more the relief experienced. At
the end Of days journey they felt
better and experienced an ineSpressi-
BILE comfort. One of them conceived
the idea Of having himself wheeled
about for hours in one of those heavy
carts used for carrying paving stones.
Contrary to the experience OF all
travellers. those afflicted with trem-
bling palsy felt fresher and more act
i've on alighting from the cars. The
longer the trip lasted. and the worse
the line. the more durable was their
! Improvement
Such testimony, coming from vari-
Gus sources. was not lost 1t was for
Mr.. Charcot the starting point for
most curious therapeutical applica-
ton. Mr.. Charcot had an arm chair
constructed to which to-and-fro
motion was given by means of an
electrical windlass. Long before the
invention of the vibrating arm chair
! Dr. NigOurouX conceived the idea OF
submitting historical patients to he
vibrations of huge tuning fork. In
| this way he cured anHsthesias and
muscular stiff joints. Other physi-
clans. Boudet OF Paris. and Mortimer
of Granville. applied vibrating rods
/ 10 the treatment of neuralgia Qacial
neuralgia in particularly and head
aches.
Granville devised small electric
hammer. analogous TO the hammer OF
electric bells. and that was supplied
to painful point. Under the int'u-
ence OF the shock, repeated hundreds
of times within short period. the
pain ceased.
The method was some time ago
singulariy improved by DR.. ellis de
la TOurette. a pupil of Mr. Charcot
He had an apparatus constructed for
the treatment Of megrims and nervous
headaches. 1t was the vibrating he'll
met. Imagine helmet the model Of
that OF old times, and very analogous
as to structure to the conformation of
hatters.
1t is, in fact, formed of steel plates
that permit of its fitting the head
perfectly. Upon this helmet, in lieu
of crest. there is small alternating
current motor of peculiar construc-
ton that makes about 600 revolutions
per minute.
At every revolution a uniform vi
bration is propagated to the metallic
plates and is transmitted to the cram
ium that they embrace. The cranial
walls thus vibrate in their ensemble,
and the entire cerebral apparatus.
The sensation is not disagreeable.
The number and intensity of the vi
brations. moreover. may be varied
according to the tolerance of the sub
ject. In few minutes a sort of gem
eral lassitude is experienced. with a
tendency to sleep.
The vibrating helmet has already
been applied to a large number of
neurasthenic invalids, the majority
of whom have experienced good re-
suits from it. The process succeeds
also against hemicrania. and as this is
quite a common affection for which
no surely efficacious remedy is known.
the helmit will, in a short time be
seen to come into vogue.
Stage Superstitions.