Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Facilitating Surgical Operations and Deadening the Pain caused thereby, chiefly designed for use by Chiropodists.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Facilitating Surgical
Operations and Deadening the Pain caused thereby, chiefly
designed for use by Chiropodists.
1, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of The Medical Battery Company Limited
52 Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Medical Electrician do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for facilitating surgical operations and
diminishing or deadening the pain caused thereby.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated
10th December 1890, No. 20,190, I have described a method of and apparatus for
administering Faradaic or intermittent electric currents to patients preparatory to
and during surgical and dental operations so as to diminish or deaden the pain
caused by such operations.
My present invention is chiefly designed to provide for the treatment of patients
by chiropodists in such a manner as to deaden the pain or render the patients
insensible to the pain caused by the removal of corns or by similar operations upon
the feet. In some instances, however, I adapt my apparatus for operations upon the
hands or other parts of the body.
In the operation of removing corns by my improved apparatus the electric
currents are passed through the patient's body during the said operation, one of
the electrodes being applied to the foot to be operated upon, and the other electrode
or eléctrodes being held in the hand or hands of the patient or applied to other
convenient parts of his body. The corn can then be removed without the necessity
for passing the electric current through the knife or other instrument used by the
chiropodist.
In some surgical operations, however, it is desirable to pass the current through
the instrument employed, in which case the treatment by electricity may be
substantially as described in the said former Specification.
For chiropodists use, my said apparatus is conveniently and advantageously
constructed as follows, viz.:-The electric battery and induction-coil are enclosed
in a suitable box or case, which may or may not form part of a chair or other
support for the patient. This chair or other support may be adjustable vertically.
On the said box or case is mounted a foot-rest provided with an electrode which is
connected with one pole of the electrical apparatus and which is adapted to come
in contact with the sole and heel of the foot when the latter is placed upon the
said rest. The said foot-rest is preferably also provided with one or more straps
or other suitable means for securing the patients foot to the said rest.
apparatus is also provided with electrodes to be held in the hands of the patient.
I find it advantageous to make the said foot-rest adjustable. For instance I
connect the said rest by means of a ball-and-socket or other universal joint to a
rod or stem which is so arranged that it can be raised and lowered as required; 1
also provide set screws or clamping-screws for securing the said rod or stem and
the foot-rest in any position to which they may be adjusted.
The
To facilitate operations on the sole or ball of the foot, I sometimes make the
foot rest in two parts, one of which can be readily removed and replaced.
The apparatus is provided with a suitable device or switch for switching the
current on and off, and with suitable means for" regulating the strength of the
ourrent administered; for instance, by putting in or out of circuit several coils or
sections of the induction-coil, 'or in any other convenient manner.
To adapt the apparatus for operations in which it is necessary to pass the electric

page_text: currents through the knife or other instrument employed, I provide a device
comprising a clamp for attachment to the said instrument, provided with a suitable
wire or conductor for connection with one pole of the electrical apparatus. The
said device is, moreover, constructed with a ring of insulating material into which
one or more fingers of the operator may be inserted, and a soft pad is attached to
this ring and is adapted to be pressed upon the toe or other part to be operated
upon, for the purpose of holding the same down during the operation. The other
pole of the electrical apparatus is, in this case, connected to the electrodes to be
held in the patients hands or applied to other parts of his body.
I sometimes adapt the adjustable rest for supporting the hands or other parts of 1
the patient's body.
It is evident that, if desired, I can substitute for the electric battery and
induction-coil, a suitable magneto-electric machine.
Dated this 12th day of October 1891.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Facilitating Surgical
Operations and Deadening the Pain caused thereby, chiefly
designed for use by Chiropodists.
I, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of The Medical Battery Company, Limited,
52 Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Medical Electrician, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
My invention relates to apparatus for facilitating surgical operations and
diminishing or deadening the pain caused thereby.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated
10th December 1890, No. 20,190, I have described a method of and apparatus for
administering Faradaic or intermittent electric currents to patients, preparatory
to and during surgical and dental operations, so as to diminish or deaden the pain
caused by such operations.
My present invention is chiefly designed to provide for the treatment of patients
by chiropodists in such a manner as to deaden the pain or render the patients
insensible to the pain caused by the removal of corns or by similar operations upon
the feet. In some instances, however, I adapt my apparatus for operations upon the
hands or other parts of the body.
In the removal of corns, and in other operations upon similar growths, or upon
parts of the body which are not very sensitive, I find that it is not necessary to
pass the electric current through the knife or other instrument employed. In
effecting such operations by my improved apparatus, I diminish or deaden the pain
as follows, that is to say-I apply one of the electrodes to the foot or other part
to be operated upon, whilst the other electrode or electrodes are held in the hand
or hands of the patient or are applied to other convenient parts of his body, and I
then pass the electric current through the body of the patient. The corn can
then be removed or any similar operation performed, without the necessity for
passing the electric current through the knife or other instrument used by the
chiropodist.
In some surgical operations, however, it is desirable to pass the current through
the instrument employed, in which case the treatment by electricity may be sub-
stantially as described in the said former Specification.
For chiropodists' use, my said apparatus is conveniently and advantageously con-
structed as follows, viz. The electric battery and induction-coil are enclosed in a
suitable box or case, which may or may not form part of a chair or other support

page_text: for the patient. This chair or other support may be adjustable vertically and also
angularly if desired. On the said box or case is mounted a rest or support for the
foot or other part to be operated upon. This rest or support is provided with an
electrode, which is connected with one pole of the electrical apparatus, and which
is adapted to come in contact with the sole and heel of the foot (or with such other
part of the body as is to be operated upon) when the latter is placed upon the said
rest or support. The said rest or support preferably also provided with one or
more straps or other suitable means for securing the patient's foot to the said rest.
The apparatus is also provided with electrodes to be held in the hands of the
patient.
My said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter
described.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shewn how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, showing one form of
chiropodist's chair constructed according to my present improvements.
Figure 2 is a front elevation, and
Figure 3 a section on the line, ., Figure 2, showing another form or modifica-
tion of my apparatus.
Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the foot-rest
hereinafter described, and
Figure 5 is a side elevation, drawn to a still further enlarged scale, of a device
hereinafter described for holding down the part to be operated upon and for
conducting the current thereto.
Referring to Figure 1, A is a chair which is mounted upon a strong rod or stem B
fitted to slide up and down in a standard C adapted to be secured to the floor or
other suitable platform. The rod or stem B is provided with a rack B¹, with
which is geared a pinion D formed or fixed on a shaft D'. On this shaft is also
formed or fixed a worm-wheel E with which is geared a worm F formed or fixed
on a shaft F provided with a hand-wheel G. By turning this hand-wheel in one
or the other direction, the chair may be raised or lowered to adjust the position of
the patient. The chair A is pivoted at A¹ to the rod or stem B, and is provided
with arms H. A bolt J is passed through holes in these arms and through a
segmental slot B² formed in the upper part of the rod or stem B concentrically
with the pivot A'. The said bolt J is provided with a nut or locking device J¹
for clamping the parts firmly together. By these means, the chair may be
adjusted so as to incline the same in one or the other direction, and can be
firmly secured in any position to which it may be adjusted.
a is a box or case in which are enclosed an electric battery and an induction-
coil c.
This box or case is secured by means of thumb-nuts d to arms or brackets K
attached to the chair, 30 that the said box or case can be adjusted to and secured
in any desired position upon the said arms or brackets.
e is a foot-rest which is mounted upon a rod or stem fitted to slide longi-
tudinally in suitable guides 9, g' attached to the box or case a, so that the said
foot-rest can be raised and lowered relatively to the said box or case, a set-screw h
being provided for securing the said foot-rest e and rod or stem fin any position to
which they may be adjusted. The said foot-rest e is provided with an electrode j
adapted to come in contact with the sole and heel of the foot, when the latter is in
position upon the said foot-rest.
I find it advantageous to make the said foot-rest e angularly adjustable. For
instance, I connect the said rest by means of a ball-and-socket joint / (or other
'suitable universal joint) to the rod or stem f
The apparatus is provided with a suitable device or switch for switching the
current on and off, and with suitable means for regulating the strength of the
current administered, for instance by putting in or out of circuit several coils or
sections of the induction-coil, or in any other well-known and convenient manner,

page_text: The electrode ; is connected, by a suitable wire or conductor, with one of the
terminals of the induction-coil c. The other terminal of the said induction-coil is
connected, by suitable wires or conductors, with electrodes m one of which is
attached to each arm of the chair A in a convenient position to be grasped by the
patient while sitting on the chair.
When the apparatus is to be used in conjunction with an ordinary chair, it may
be constructed as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the box or case a being adapted to
rest upon the floor or other suitable platform. In this case, movable electrodes m, m
are provided to be held in the hands of the patient. These electrodes are preferably
covered with suitable absorbent material which is wetted or moistened before the
apparatus is used. A set-screw may be provided for securing the foot-rest e to
the rod or stem f in any desired position.
The electrical connections between the battery, the induction-coil and some of
the other parts are not shown in the drawing, but the said connections may be made
in any convenient manner as will be readily understood.
To facilitate operations on the sole or ball of the foot, I sometimes make the
foot-rest in two parts, one of which can be readily removed and replaced.
This arrangement is more clearly shewn in Figure 4, in which the forward part of
the foot-rest e is provided with a projection or tongue e adapted to fit tightly into
a corresponding hole or recesse in the rear part of the said foot-rest, the electrode j
being formed in two parts which are secured respectively to the two parts of the
foot-rest. The foot-rest may, with advantage, be provided with a strap n for
securing the patient's foot in place thereon.
I sometimes adapt the aforesaid adjustable rest for supporting the hand or other
part of the patient's body.
It is evident that, if desired, I can substitute for the electric battery and
induction-coil, a suitable magneto-electric machine for the purpose above specified.
It is obvious, moreover, that, if deemed desirable, the current may be caused to
pass through the patient's body for a suitable period previous to the operation.
For some operations in which it is necessary to pass the electric current through
the knife or other instrument employed, I find it advantageous to use the devices
hereinafter described, that is to say, I provide a suitable clamp for attachment to
the said knife or other instrument, and connect this clamp, by a wire or conductor,
with one pole of the electrical apparatus. I also provide a device, such as is
shown in Figure 5, constructed with a ring p of insulating material into which one or
more fingers of the operator may be inserted, and with a soft pad g which is attached
to the said ring and is adapted to be pressed upon the toe or other part to be
operated upon, for the purpose of holding the same down during the operation.
This pad is connected by a wire or conductor r to the other pole of the electrical
apparatus, and is to be wetted or moistened before it is used. When the circuit is
completed in this manner, the current will pass through the said pad and through
the knife or other instrument, and also through the part of the patient's body to be
operated upon. If desired, one pole of the electrical apparatus may be connected
to the knife or other instrument, and the other to the electrodes to be held in the
patient's hands, or to be applied to other parts of his body.
In this case the pad 9 may be used dry for holding down the part to be operated
проп.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The improved method of deadening or diminishing the pain caused by the
removal of corns or by similar surgical operations, consisting in passing through
the body of the patient, during (and also, if desired, previous to) the operation, an
intermittent or Faradaic electric current by means of an electrode in contact with
the foot or other part to be operated upon and an electrode or electrodes held in the

page_text: hand or hands of the patient, without passing the current through the knife or
other surgical instrument employed, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The employment, in an apparatus for the purpose above specified, of an
adjustable rest or support which also serves as an electrode, substantially as
described and for the purposes specified.
Third. The rest or support adapted to serve as an electrode and so constructed
that the forward portion thereof can be readily removed and replaced, substantially
as described with reference to Figure 4 of the drawings, for the purposes
specified.
Fourth. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figure 1 or to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, for the purposes
specified.
Fifth. The means, substantially as described with reference to Figure 5 of the
drawing, whereby I provide for holding down or steadying the part to be operated
upon, and for applying the electric current thereto, as, and for the purposes,
specified.
3554
C. B. HARNESS.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.