Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-12

keys on the side of a cabinet He expert
enced instant relief. although there had
not been any electricity within fifty feet
| Of him.
The efficiency of - thin copper plate
six inches long by three inches wide
sewed to the outside of wooden under
| shirt, as in the picture, TO straighten fin
gers distorted by rheumatism, may not
Iappeal to one versed in electrical matters
There IS. however. q young man who
Through wearing it. More wonderful still
is the method of recharsing the plate
To use his own words: When all Of the
| electricity has been absorbed into my
body | recharge it from the street car
track After IA trolley car passes | lay
the plate on the rail ana the electricity
| soon fills it fun enough to last several
days"
There IL an old lady living On the West
| side who, whenever she feels the rheu-
| matics" coming on. gets relief BY riding
can feel the electricity shoot all over her
when the motorman turns on me cur
| as the car is going. Generally half
| hour ride is sufficient to relieve an ordi-
| nary twinge, ana the dear old soul re-
| turns home contented in the belief that
she is cheating the doctors at the expense
Of the street railway company.
| One doctor had strange experience
one was taken i'll and a doctor sent for.
| In examining her he noticed a small bag
| suspended from her neck by a silken
| cord. 1t had irritated the baby's chest
| and the physician started to remove it
| when the mother exclaimed:
| "Oh, doctor. don't take that off. Ma
put IL on Elsie to ward off sickness, and
| am sure something dreadful would hap
pen If the little darling should part with
| The bag contained two pieces of small
copper wire. Elsie still wears il, and she
also has a well-developed dose Of the
| measles.
a young machinist was troubled with
| neuralgia at times. Some one told him to
| wear pieces of old telephone wire and
they would ward off the acute pains. AS
the disease seldom attacked twice in the
| same spot consecutively, he hit upon the
novel plan, herewith illustrated. of en-
circling his body and arms with 'electri
| car breastworks He declares that he
has not had a touch of neuralgia since
wearing the amulets. As a further pre-
caution, however. he occasionally, calls
| upon his doctor and has him ''recharSe"
| the wires that he wears by connecting
| them all with a battery. AS the wires
are heavily insulated the ''recharging" is
| done without any inconvenience to the
| wearer
| certain doctor had been treating a
| man some time for lung trouble. One
/ day the patient complained of having
| rheumatism, and asked the physician to
| give him some electricity. The pain was
| in his leg and he experienced some relief.
| After he departed the doctor missed one
| Of the insulated wires attached to the
| battery. The man returned in few days
/
| to the question said his rheumatism was
| getting along fine he would not take
any more electricity. although the doctor
| assured him that il would not cost any
| thing extra. One day he reached down to
| examine the leg, but the man objected.
| The doctor, however, had placed one hand
| on the leg and felt two or more cordlike
| circles just below the knee, and the mys-
| terry of the lost wire was solved. The pa
| tient had stolen it and bound it on his
| leg under the belief that it was charged
| with electricity.
| a case where the "ounce Of preventive
| is worth pound Of cure is shown by
| the accompanying illustration. This man
| was being treated for q stomach ailment
| ana when an examination was made the
| doctor was much surprised to find car
| bon stick fastened to the mans body by
copper wire The patient said IL was to
] cure rheumatism.
| But / did mt know you WAS ever
| troubled with rheumatism. said the ply
| stefan.
| "Oh. I'm not. but am afraid may be
| some time. ANA ! know electricity Is hrst-
| class for anything Of that kind. 50 | wear
| this t. keep il way
| liz had never been subject u even
| Slight 'twinse" ma firmly believed that
| he was safe from rheumatism 50 long as
/ ne wore his carbon storage battery.
| one patient il unsuphiSticated to an al
| most incredible degree. and this Is taken
| advantage Df by his companions. Moth
| ing IL too improbable for him To believe.
| The other day he was given an electrical
| treatment for \ pain in his BACK, ana o.
| rived much relief theretrom. Next after
| noon his left knee was slightly swollen
ana 4 hot water lag was applied. The
wafer was non enough to cause ting
Hing sensation. wh,reupon the attendant.
VINO ~ cuu4id,ra Die Of Wag. recalling
| thy benefit derived from the electrical
| treatment of the day before. told nm
! that th- bA- Wa charged with electric
q tank It's. as feel him yump,'' he
said. IAN. this fins | ~ likG machine machine
| hag lust nice easy way to take" He was
not satisfied until everyone N the room
| able To Walk mad come ~ his bed ana
| had a shock from the lectrisitic water
| Il tax fifteen kinds medicine. he re-
| marked later. "and all together II not 40
So much good this. Why. it all through
| ii there had been the shadow Of doubt
| in his mind it was dispelled When one OF
| the other patients. by rubbing MS shoes
| along the carpet and touching the iron
| frame Of his bed. caused an electric spark
| to fly from his finger with a sharp crack.
and afterward bringing spark from his
| hand or face by the same process. rms
! old and simple trick happened to he new
| to most of those present and until en-
| planned several who Witnessed it believed
that the Swede had been filled up like
| 10 Offset This curious collection OF sym
| pathetic cures and preVenuons. mere Is a
! curious way of catching disease by sug-
| gestion The story is Vouched for by
| well-known medical professor, VINO as
| sertS that cases of this kind are known IN
| every medical class IN chicago. ne say
| that certain diseases, such as fever, are
| under discussion in clinics or lectures be
| fore students Of medical colleges Tor sew
eral successive days that almost inva-
| riabIv one or more of the attending en-
| bryo physicians will be taken sick with
the ailment that has been under discus
sion. As there is no chance OF contagion
| or transmission Of the disease the only
| explanation given is that the mind be
| comes so imbued with the subject that
| the body submits INCREASINGLY unless the
| student has enough will power to combat
| the influence.