The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-05-30
A NEW DEPARTURE.
Electricity Is Soon to Be Employed
il Medicine.
rhe Current to I5s Applied in the Treat
nent Of HernorrhaGe-oneo Of the Most
wonderful Discoveries of Nod
ern science.

One OF the most wonderful modern
discoveries in the region of electro
therapv is the system Of ''euprie cleo
troIysis'' brought ont by Gautier, OF
Paris. by which a metallic deposit can
be made on any part of the body, in
ternal or external, says the Boston
Transcript. The process VIII be un-
derstood by recalling the fact
that an iron needle connected TO the
positive" pole. plunged into human
tissue, Is quickly attacked by the
9xvgen and chlorine set free at this
pole. IS converted into Oxychloride Of
iron. double salt. and is soon complete
lv DESTROYED. The same is true OF any
metal attacked by oxygen or chlorine
A copper needle or bulb or other con-
renientlv shaped clectrOde penetrating
tissue or laid against mucous mem
braDe. especially within the cavities Of
the body, is converted into oxychlor-
tde Of copper, zinc into oxyehloride Of
zinc and SO on
This method has only recently been
introduced into this country, but its
benefits promise to be far reaching
when it Is brought into general prac-
tiee. In genealogical work especially
it secures results attainable by no
other means. rs the Introduction Of the
positive copper sound affords not only
the intrinsic advantage Of the current,
bat also the further beneficial action of
an antiseptic salt, whose permeation
into the tissues contributes to their
strength end nutrition. IN other
words, the metallic deposit IS first
made, and then. by what IS termed
"cafaphoresis," driven into the tissues.
Il IS highly probable that this VIII
be the treatment of the future in
e2tarrh cases. \ copper bulb through
which an electric current Is passing is
swept ozer the nasal, throat and mucous
membranes and deposits and drives in
the copper salts. This method is both
rapid and painless and its effects are
described IS magical An eminent
elcctrotherapeutist states that IN his
hands its results far surpass the
most sanguine claim OF any 9th
er treatment II is also likely 10
create a new practice in the antisept-
icizing and healing Of unhealthy ulcer
ations and discharging cavities, the
dispersion OF tumors and the reduction
70 q healthy state Of the granular eye
lids OF the conjunctivitis. DR.. Angus
tin Goelet now calls attention 10 the
adaptability Of this principle to the
control % hemorrhagc, especially in
connection with internal operation,
such as are frequently 10 be carried
ont in gyneeology. Dr. Goelet does
further conmendable service by show
ing wherein It has ut times proved un-
successful, and pointing out how fall
urc can, to a great extent, be avoided
Tie insists that If the applications are
perscrercd with aud are properly made
thcv viii, IN the ma jority Of cases, con-
troll an active hemorThage- One point
Of supreme Importance IS that there
should be actual and complete contact
between the electrode and the surface
acted upon. and for the attainment Of
this object the use of an enlarged and
possibly egg-shaped electrode may at
times bc advisable. It is most satisfac-
tory to know, on such authority, that
electricity can be so effectively ap-
piled 10 q disastrous ailment. against
which every resource of the physician
! has heretofore but too often proved
/ powcrless.