IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY TO THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Weightman Harrison
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st June 1871.
I, CHARLES WEIGHTMAN HARRISON, of South Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY TO
THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say) :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in the application of
electricity derived from any suitable source to therapeutic purposes and
consists in a novel method of applying electricity to a living body, and
in the means, mechanism, apparatus, or appliances to be used therefor
or in connection therewith.
The following is a description of the nature of the said Invention
and of simple means of carrying the same into effect. My novel method
of applying electricity consists in imparting to a living body electric
impulses or waves of any-required degree of intensity and length of
duration or dwell, the intervals between and the duration of each of such
electric impulses or waves being regulated either by the beating of the

page_text: pulse of the living body or by suitable external means so contrived that
a given number of such electric impulses or waves may be imparted
during a given time, thus providing a means of regulating them
according to the age or condition of the patient or other controlling
circumstance.
The arrangements I adopt for accomplishing this object are as
follows:-
In the case where the said electric impulses or waves are to be regu-
lated in the manner above described by the beating of the pulse of the
living body to be operated upon I provide a lever or connector so
contrived that one end may be brought into contact with and receive
motion from the pulsations of any suitable part of the said living body,
whilst the other end of the lever or connector to which motion is thus
imparted is made by any suitable means, alternately to complete and
break the circuit of the electric current passing through such living
body. In the case where the electric impulses or waves are to be regu-
lated by external means I cause the circuit of the electric current passing
through the living body to be completed and broken at the desired
intervals by suitable regulating mechanism placed in its path. For
example, I conveniently accomplish this by a kind of cam or toothed
wheel, the teeth of which as it rotates in the path of the electric
current between suitable springs or other convenient contrivance alter-
nately complete and break the circuit. This cam or toothed wheel is so
arranged that its speed may be kept under control by suitable mechanism
and regulated by simply turning or setting a hand or indicator to the
required number of electric impulses or waves as appearing on a dial
used in connection therewith. This dial is marked out into certain
divisions which are filled in with the various ages or conditions of life,
and corresponding with these the number or frequency of pulsations
per minute occurring on an average in healthy persons. In connection
with this regulating mechanism, and in order that the application of the
electricity to the living body may be perfectly under control I employ
suitable mechanism or apparatus for visibly and audibly indicating and
for recording the frequency and power of successively passing electric
impulses or waves that pass through the living body during any given
time. The visible and audible indications I conveniently derive from
electro-magnetic action induced by means of the passing electric impulse
or wave, visibly as in the deflection of a needle and in the rapidity and

page_text: extent of its motion, and audibly as in the striking of a bell and in the
rapidity and force of such stroke. The recording instrument I form of
suitable chronometrically working mechanism which is made to move a
fillet or sheet of paper upon which a pointer marks each impulse or
5 wave of electricity as it passes through the living body.