Galvanic Hand-baths and Foot-baths or Arm-baths and Knee-baths for directly introducing Medicaments into the tissues of the Human Body.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Galvanic Hand-baths and Foot-baths or Arm-baths and Knee-baths
for directly introducing Medicaments into the tissues of the
Human Body.
I, CARL EMIL SCHNEE, Austro-Hungarian General Consulate Physician in
Carlsbad, Austria, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tien to be as follows:-
This invention relates to hand-baths and foot-baths for directly introducing
medicaments into the tissues of the human body. I employ for this purpose two
or if necessary-more vessels (tubs) constructed throughout of a material (glass
or porcelain) not liable to be decomposed by chemicals or by electrolysis on an
insulating ground (glass plates, rubber sheets). These tubs have guides on their
side walls, made of the same material as these walls, for the reception of carbon
plates for conducting the electric current and are filled with luke-warm boiled or
distilled water. The number and size of the tubs to be used depends on the
procedure prescribed by the physician, as to whether hand- and foot-baths are to
be combined. The vessels for the hands are placed on an insulated stand above
those for the feet. The seat of the patient is also insulated.
For
The medicaments which are to be used for introduction into the tissues (in
solution and in prescribed quantity) need only to be put into the foot tubs.
the purpose of directly introducing, in predetermined percentage quantity, the
necessary medicaments (such as corrosive sublimate, chron etc.) into the tissues of
the human body, the carbon electrodes are connected as may be requisite in both
foot-tubs or in these and the arm-tubs. The positive current is led into the foot
tubs, the negative current is led from the second tub, if foot-baths alone are used,
or from the hand-tubs, if hand- and foot-baths are used.
For generating the galvanic current a galvanic battery of about 40 elements
is used; if the apparatus is to be employed in connection with an alternate current
supply a continuous current transformer of corresponding strength is employed.
For measuring the strength of the current a device with an element counter or
rheostat and with a galvanometer is employed. For changing the direction of the
current a commutator is used which, when a strong current is being employed,
should only be applied after each time the rheostat has been brought back to zero.
Dated this 9th day of August 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY.
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Galvanic Hand-baths and Foot-baths or Arm-baths and Knee-baths
for directly introducing Medicaments into the tissues of the
Human Body.
1, CARL EMIL SCHNEE, Austro-Hungarian General Consulate, Physician in
Carlsbad, Austria, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to galvanic hand-baths and foot-baths (or arm and knee
baths) for directly introducing medicaments into the tissues of the human body.
The essential feature of the invention consists in employing, in place of a single
bath for the immersion of the body, two or more baths, namely one for each
extremity to be treated so that each extremity can be immersed in a separate bath.
By this arrangement a great disadvantage and a great danger are avoided which
accompany the use of ordinary galvanic baths. Namely, with the improved con-
struction it is quité impossible that, should the current introduced into a bath be
too strong, any danger to the life of the patient should arise, because the electric
current is not made to act directly upon the sensitive portions of the human body,
which would be the case if the entire body were contained in the bath.
The medicaments to be introduced are however effectually passed into the body,
notwithstanding that only the extremities are brought into contact with the
medicament solutions, and this process is even effected in a much more perfect
manner than heretofore.
On the accompanying drawing is shewn an arrangement of baths according to
my present invention. Fig. 1 shews a side view, Fig. 2 a front view, Fig. 3 a
plan of the hand or arm baths, and Fig. 4 a plan of the foot or knee baths.
With the new method of bathing for the introduction of medicaments in a
dissolved condition into the human body there are employed several baths or
receptacles A, A₂, B₁ B₂ which are made of any suitable materials that are not
affected by the chemicals employed, or by electrolysis, such as glass or porcelain,
these vessels being placed upon insulating surfaces C, such as plates of glass,
vulcanite &c.
These baths have slots A and B at the sides, formed of the same material as the
bath, for the reception of carbon electrode plates which are provided with screw
clamps a, az az a, b, b₂ by b₁ for the connection of the wires of the electric circuit.
The number and size of the baths employed depends upon the treatment prescribed
by the medical adviser, according as hand and footbaths, or arm and knee baths are
to be combined. The baths serving for the treatment of the hands (there being a
separate vessel for each hand) are arranged above those for the feet (there being
also one for each foot) as shewn on the drawing.
>
The seat for the patient must of course be also insulated.
The baths are filled with luke-warm boiled or distilled water, and the medica-
ments are only introduced into the foot or knee baths. The medicaments used,
such for instance as sublimates, iodine preparations, bromine and lithium salt,
are only added in form of solutions, in accurately determined doses suited to the
particular disease to be treated. The introduction is effected by the galvanic
current. For this purpose the two carbon electrodes of the foot baths are con-
nected by the screw clamps by and b₂, by and b, and the baths are then themselves
connected by the connection of b₂ with b₂, in the same way the arm baths
are connected, namely a₁, a az, a The positive current is always led into the
foot or knee baths into which the medicaments are introduced, as these can only

page_text: pass into the body by means of the positive current, the negative current is always
passed into the hand or arm baths. If only one kind of bath is desired, for example
foot or knee baths, or hand or arm baths, then the positive current is passed into
the one bath and the negative current into the other bath.
For producing the galvanic current there is employed a galvanic battery of
about 40 elements. If the baths are supplied from a central installation which
only supplies alternating currents, these currents must be converted into a con-
tinuous current, this being effected by a suitable transformer through which the
alternating current is passed, and which consists of a combination of an alternate
current motor with a continuous current dynamo.
The speed of the motor and consequent production of the continuous current is
regulated by a rheostat in any suitable known manner.
Also any suitable known construction of electricity meter or indicator_is
employed for indicating the strength of the current passed into the baths. For
changing the direction of current a reversing switch is employed, which must
only be actuated after the rheostat has been set to zero, if the current is strong.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
Galvanic hand and foot baths, or arm and knee baths, for directly introducing
accurately determined quantities of dissolved medicaments into the tissues of the
human body, wherein a galvanic current is led to the carbon electrodes of several
insulated baths or receptacles serving to receive the separate extremities of the
human body, the said baths being filled with water, and the medicaments being
only dissolved in the water of that or those baths into which the positive current
is introduced substantially as described.
12
1
J
Danamh 100%
ABEL & IMRAY.
Agents for the Applicant.