A New or Improved Combined Electro Medical Apparatus, Coil, and Battery.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SE DUIFICATION.
A New or Improved Combined Electro Medical Apparatus, Coil, and
Battery.
We, THOMAS CLEMENT HODGKINSON, of Ramsdens Buildings, Elizabeth Street
the City of Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Mechanical and Electrical
Engineer, and HENRY THOMAS TOMPSITT of Flinders Street in the said City of
Melbourne, Wholesale Druggist, 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:―
The object of the invention is to effect improvements in the design and con-
struction of electrical instruments used in surgical medical and other applications
of electricity to the human body or the bodies of the lower animals and that such
instruments shall be complete and capable of adjustment and within a portable
compass.
The invention consists of an electrical apparatus which for better description
and for the purpose of this application is illustrated by accompanying drawing in
which
Figure is a longitudinal section and Figure 2 a top view of one form of
apparatus constructed according to our invention.
Figure 3 represents the face side of plate H.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent modifications.
This
This instrument is capable of many modifications and developements founded upon
the principle of this invention. First. The battery may be either primary or
secondary. The primary form, which is found to be most suitable, is shown at A
in Figures 1 and 2, and consists of either one or more clements of ordinary con-
struction, or of an element composed of carbon and zinc and excited by the use of
a paste composed of pure farina (previously boiled) and to which, after cooling,
sulphate of mercury is added in the proportions necessary to produce greater or
lesser currents of primary electricity as may be required for special uses.
paste, when incorporated, is poured into the spaces between the outer covering of
the battery and the elements. One method of preparing this paste, and which has
been found to answer, is as follows:-To one imperial pint of boiling water add
one and three quarter ounces of the best white starch; let the mixture be well
simmered. When quite cold divide it into four equal parts, and to one of these
parts add and thoroughly incorporate five drachms of hydrarg-bisulphate albe
(sulphate of mercury). These ingredients must be mixed in an earthenware or
glass vessel and stirred and mixed with an implement of the same material.
For one of the purposes of this invention the battery is made to form the handle
of the instrument, and may be made either round, as shown on drawing, or square,
oval, &c., according to the number of elements contained within it. The case of
this handle must be made from some non-conducting material and fitted with a
screwed plug at one end for facility of cleansing also with a special cap screwed to
fit the other end.
Upon this, marked B, the elements are secured and the electricity derived from
these is carried to the brass facing piece, marked C, and the screwed plug
marked D. These form the battery terminals and for use in this invention are
made to correspond with a similar facing piece and hole screwed in conducting
material forming terminals of primary leads in the instrument itself as shown in
drawing and lettered C and D.
Thus when one of these batteries (which batteries are to be interchangeable)
is screwed up the circuit is completed and the instrument ready for use.
The instrument itself shown in drawing at Figures 1, 2 and 3 consists of

page_text: 22
a novel combination and use of the negative and positive poles of electrical
currents as transmitted to the plates forming the face of the instrument,
an "intensity' coil suitably wound and adjusted and with or without a
resistance or commutator plate for regulating intensity of current desired to
be used.
This instrument is constructed as follows. A flat piece of non-conducting
material (H) is fashioned to a desired shape and fitted to the metal fork (G);
upon this flat piece of material, two concave plates (EE) are mounted, separated
from contact with each other by the use of a strip of insulating material marked F.
Upon the top side of the plate H, a neat box of suitable shape is secured, so
arranged that the intensity coil placed within can be exposed to view for purpose
of adjustment of "the contact breaker." The coil is so wound as to allow
the secondary wires, representing various "strengths," to be attached to the
terminal screws upon resistance or commutator plates marked J and K.
The circuits are made as follows:-M and N are primary leads, the former
connecting with primary of coil, and the latter to contact breaker; this may be
shunted direct to the plates E E upon the face of instrument when a continuous
current is to be used in preference to the "Faradaic or intermittent form, for
which purpose we employ a "cut out" between the contact plates E E and
the coil and a direct shunt of the two primary leads M and N, as will be
readily understood. This arrangement however is not essential to our invention.
The first layer of secondary wire is led from the coil to the terminal of one of
the contact plates upon the face of instrument, and the other ends of secondary
wires or strengths are led to terminals 1. 2. 3. 4 and 5.
The other contact plate is connected with plate J. The spaces between
these strips or plates are closed as required by the use of a small metal plug
accurately fitted to any of the holes arranged between the strips J and K so that
a varied degree of intensity may be obtained by altering the position of the plug.
These contact plates may be used as a foundation or electrical base upon which
to attach any fittings required for the special application of this instrument to any
portion of a living body which it may be impossible to reach with the instrument
as shown complete upon the drawing.
These instruments may be made in various other shapes, for example, those
shown at Figures 4 and 5 and may be operated also by the use of an ordinary
primary battery, contact being made by the use of flexible cords or a transmission
handle, having flexible cords passing through the same, as shown in Figure 6.
Metal bristles may also be inserted in the contact plates and the instrument may
thus be used as an electric brush.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we would have it understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details as here given, as the same
may be altered or varied without departing from the principle of the invention but
we declare that what we claim is :-
1. A combined electro medical apparatus consisting of contact plates, contact
plates holder, coil, adjustable commutator and battery (or any mere modification)
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an electro medical apparatus, the combination of fixed smooth contact plates
with the intensity coil commutator for the adjustment of strengths and battery
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In an electro-medical apparatus, the sinooth contact plates as distinguished
from any form of metallic bristles substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. In an electro medical apparatus the combination with an intensity coil
adjustable commutator and smooth contact plates of a battery either primary
or secondary forming the handle of the apparatus having a non-conducting
outer casing and screwed plug and cap so arranged as to be replaceable

page_text: or interchangeable substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
5. A combined electro medical apparatus consisting of contact plates, contact
plates holder, coil and adjustable commutator which may be operated by a primary,
secondary or accumulator battery connected therewith by cords or by a transmission
handle with cords attached thereto substantially as described in the Specification
and shewn on the drawings.
6. In an electro-medical battery an exciting agent or paste composed of boiled
farina to which sulphate of mercury is added in suitable proportions according to
current desired substantially as hereinbefore described.
A
T. C. HODGKINSON,
H. T. TOMPSITT,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.