The Washington times., 1922-06-04

BY ELECTRICITY
sTOSOOTHEPA|N
Hospital In New York Finds
Juice" Both Effioacious
- and Harmless.
USED FOR INDUCING SLEEP
Light and Heat Now Take
sli Place In Treatment OF
r. Various Diseases.

NEW YORK, June S.-That
electricity can take the place OF
ihabit-forming drugs, harmlessly
soothing pain and inducing sleep,
3is stated in a report submitted to-
day to the officials Of the Recon-
'strucion Hospital by DR.. Richard
Kovaes, director of the hospitars
electrc-therapy.
's 'Indiscriminate use Of pain-re-
-iieving drugs has been respoEsi'
bic for the creation of drug habits
IN many instances" the report says.
Modern electro-therapy makes the
employment Of drugs for such cases
unnecessary. Deep-penetrating cleo
tric heat, called diathermy. will re-
iieve the pain. Static brush CHS,
charge and static wave current Will
! Remove infiltrations and eXadates
IN the cases Of mflamed nerves
(neuralsda and neuritis), Raolant
light and heat will keep the pain
from coming back"
81 Erged For Insomnia.
For those who have difficulty In
wooing slumber, the report states
that static electricity has sooth.
fnR action which Is effectively usec
for the treatment of sleeplessness.
Frequently In the Reconstruction
Hospitals electrical treatment ds-
partment a patient goes to sleep IN
I the chair while being treated Tor
some deep-seated pain, Inflammation
Of joints. muscles OF nerves.
The report deals with the rapidiY-
widening scope of treatment by
electricity. Its curative uses now
parallel electricity's commercial
Adaptations: For producing light ana
heat, for mechanical effect, setting
matters in motion. and for cheini !al
action. Modern practitioners who
nuse electricity, select the form nr
D.: frlodality. They would no more pre-
> scribe merely "Give electricity" than
they would write as an order Oh l
Druggist give medicine" n
Describing these divisions of cNt
trical application as used IN the Re-
construction Hospitals work. the re-
port states: Light and heat arc
produced by high candle power In
candescent lamps. light cabinet
baths. Heat through any part Of
the human body can be produced by
the heat action Of hish.frequency
currents, scientifically named dia-
thermy,
Static Machines Used.
Mechanical action is reduced by
vibrators and static machines, one
Of the oldest types OF electric apparh-
Jtus which has been redlscovered a. Il
fesult of wartime necessity, intro.
-ducing a wonderful range Of action
Z, through deep cellular vibration in
any part of the body. Electricity'a
chemical action is used in salvnnic
currents for the softening Of adher.
7ent scars, in relief Of pain and stimu.
iation Of certain types OF wounds"
no longer are given shocks
2 and jolts. where electricity is admin
istered properly. Treatment Is pnin-
= less. Cases can be diagnosed by dec
tricity, to mathematical cSaetness
, Muscles can be developed and fot
= reduced by the proper use OF Juice. {"
The work of the Reconstruction
Hospital, dealing primarily with in-
dustrial disabilities and disea ses,
electricity is superlativcly useful in
fracture cases. Radiant heat and
light applied to the site oe the frac-
ture stimulates the circulation of
the skin. and diathermy, acting On
deep bony parts, hastens the forma.
tion OF bone tissue. Sinusoidal cur.
rent gently exercises the muscles
around the fracture. Where dia.
1thermy is used. two electrodes are
strapped to the body. one Oh each
side OF the part treated. High trc.
'quency current passing between the
electrodes forms heat which rea .hes
the spot to be treated. 10 matter how
deep seated. Variations of this treaI .
ment can form or reduce bone tis.
sue as desired.