A MEDICO-GALVANIC ELECTRODE, MAGNETIC AT WILL
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Isac Louis Pulvermacher at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1879.
ISAC LOUIS PULVERMACHER, of 194, Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Electrician. "A MEDICO-GALVANIC ELECTRODE, MAGNETIC AT WILL."
The object of this Invention is a medico-galvanic electrode, magnetic at will,
which when in close contact with any part of the human frame is capable of pro-
ducing gentle galvanic currents and will serve at the same time as an electrode of
large surface, flexible or otherwise.
The appliance can be fixed on any part of the body by a simple pin fastener.
The latter in addition to fixing having the advantage of serving to convey a more
or less strong current from without, through the under garment to the electrode, or
to connect two or more electrodes in a conductible manner outside the garment
without deteriorating the latter, thereby allowing conductible connections to be
established between two or more such galvanic electrodes or between the latter and
any battery whatever.
According to one arrangement the appliance is constructed in the following
manner: -Triangular thin copper and zinc plates of the form of segments of a
circle are fixed in alternate order on one or more superposed circular discs of thick
stiff cotton, linen, or woollen cloth, or other suitable material, such as cardboard by
overlapping edges at the inner or central edge and the outer or peripheral edge.
The central hole thus formed receives a metallic piece having a pin in its centre,
the whole being similar to a drawing pin, the head of which is slightly larger than
the central hole in the apparatus or appliance.
The centre pin is on its thicker or lower portion threaded to receive another disc
of the same size as the "head" and acting as a nut, a washer of insulating material of
the thickness of the appliance at its centre being interposed between the head
of the nail and the nut, whereby it can be safely fixed in the central hole of the
apparatus.
For electrode purposes this central appliance is set thereby in contact with all
the segments, while for voltaic connection of the zinc and copper couples, it is isolated
from the latter and only brought in contact with one of the segments, either zinc or
copper.
For combining zinc and copper couples in voltaic connection I solder a zinc segment
with the neighbouring copper, one by an intermediate flexible metal wire so as to

page_text: preserve the flexibility in spite of the ends being soldered to the segments, thereby
securing to the whole flexibility in all directions.
To render this appliance magnetic at will a circular magnet may be inserted
between the two cloth discs during manufacture, or if preferred a slit may be formed
in the upper disc of cloth or other suitable material forming a pocket into which
two semi-circular magnetized steel springs can be inserted or removed at will.
It is obvious that the shape of my medico-galvanic electrode, magnetic at will,
may be varied from disc form to square, oblong, semi-circular, oval, or any other
shape without departing from the nature of the Invention.