Improved Air or Vapour Bath Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left. 3rd Aug.
1899-Accented 30th Sept
1800
[Communicated from abroad by the Firm of C. W. BOLTE, NACHFOLGER, of
No. 20, Rathhaus Strasse, Hamburg, in the German Empire, Merchants.]
Improved Air or Vapour Bath Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster,
and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The invention forming the object of the present Application for Letters Patent
consists of an improved air or vapour bath apparatus.
The application of heated air to the human body for the cure of local affections
has long been well known as a curative method of great value in therapeutics.
But the apparatus hitherto employed has suffered from various drawbacks, being
either very large and cumbersome in construction, and such as can only be
applied to the whole or nearly the whole of the body of the patient, or on the
other hand has been crude in construction, and consequently of very limited
application for healing purposes.
The invention now set forth provides apparatus whereby a very high tempera-
ture, which in case of need may exceed 135° Centigrade, can be applied to a
portion of the human body for curative purposes without burning the skin of the
patient, and by this means the said high temperature may be maintained around
the limb or other part of the body under treatment, for as long a period as may
be found necessary.
In carrying the invention into effect, it is necessary to provide, firstly, an
envelope of a material which will resist heat, and possess the necessary flexi-
bility, whilst it is itself a bad conductor of heat, and not liable to burn the skin
of the patient if it comes into contact therewith. A suitable material for this
purpose is asbestos cloth, which may be formed as an inner envelope in proximity
to, but not absolutely touching the skin of the patient. This flexible envelope
may be surrounded by a casing of suitable material, such as wood or the like,
and the ends of the apparatus may be provided with sleeves or curtains of some
textile substance, such for instance as canvas, for the purpose of tightly surround-
ing the part of the body, and retaining the heat.
The heating device is preferably a spirit lamp connected by means of an adjust-
able funnel and elbow arm with the apparatus above described. The lamp is so
supported that it can he raised or lowered so as to supply more or less heat as
may be requisite for the treatment. Means are provided for holding a ther-
mometer in place, and out of contact with the skin of the patient.
The shape of the apparatus will necessarily vary according to the portion of the
body to which it is to be applied. the device being specially applicable to parts
which can be surrounded by the hot air on this system, such as the limbs, the
neck, and so forth.
By means of the thermometer and the adjustable heating device a regular

page_text: system of treatment can be effected commencing at a relatively low temperature,
and rising to the maximum which the patient is capable of enduring, without any
danger of burning the skin by contact with metallic or other good conductors of
heat.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, G, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster,
and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil
Engineer, 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:-
i
The invention forming the object of the present Application for Letters Patent
consists of an improved air or vapour bath apparatus.
The application of heated air to the human body for the cure of local affections
has long been well known as a curative method of great value in therapeutics:
But the apparatus hitherto employed has suffered from various drawbacks, being
either very large and cumbersome in construction, and such as can only be
applied to the whole or nearly the whole of the body of the patient, or on the
other hand has been crude in construction, and consequently of., very limited
application for healing purposes.
:
The invention now set forth provides apparatus whereby a very, high tempera-
ture, which in case of need may exceed 135° Centigrade, can be applied to a
portion of the human body for curative purposes without burning the skin of the
patient, and by, this means the, said high temperature may be maintained around
the limb or other part of the body under treatment, for as long.. a period as may
be found necessary.
In carrying the invention into effect, it is necessary to provide; firstly, an
envelope of a material which will resist heat, and possess the necessary .flexi-
bility, whilst it is itself a bad conductor of heat, and not liable to burn the skin
of the patent if it comes into contact therewith.. A suitable material for this
purpose is asbestos cloth, which may be formed as an inner envelope in proximity
to, but not absolutely touching the skin of the patient. This flexible envelope
may be surrounded by a casing of suitable material, such as wood or the like,
and the ends of the apparatus may be provided with sleeves or curtains of some
textile substance, such for instance as canvas, for the purpose of tightly surround-
ing the part of the body, and retaining the heat.
L
The heating device is, preferably a spirit lamp connected by means of an adjust-
able funnel and elbow arm with the apparatus above described. The lamp is so
supported that it can be raised or lowered so as to supply more or less heat as
may be requisite for the treatment. Means are provided for holding a ther-
mometer in place, and, out of contact with the skin of the patient.
The shape of the apparatus will necessarily vary according to the portion of the
body to which it is to be applied, the device being specially applicable to parts
which can be surrounded by the hot air on this system, such as the limbs, the
neck, and so forth.

page_text: By means of the thermometer and the adjustable heating device a regular
system of treatment can be effected commencing at a relatively low temperature,
and rising to the maximum which the patient is capable of enduring, without any
danger of burning the skin by contact with metallic or other good conductors of
heat.
-
In order more clearly to set forth my invention I have illustrated it in one
modification in the accompanying drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation and part section and
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus.
The construction shown is that specially designed for treating the foot accord-
ing to my system.
In these drawing the foot of the patient is inserted through the flexible tube d
into the part marked 6 whilst the hot air or the like passes in through the tube a
and round the edges of the baffle e. The exit tube above is marked f, the walls
of the apparatus are preferably double in order to retain the heat. The baffle e
prevents the patient's foot being scorched by a sudden blast of hot air or vapour.
The part of the apparatus marked c bears a removable or adjustable cover which
can be turned straight as shown in Figure 2 when it is desirable to reach the
inside of the apparatus.
The best method known to me of using this apparatus is as follows:-
Put the limb under treatment into the apparatus so as to leave a free space
surrounding it.
Ordinary wadding should next be wrapped round the limb at the part to be
covered by the bands provided at the end or ends of the apparatus for keeping the
same airtight.
Then light the spirit lamp and commence the treatment at a low temperature,
such as 700 to 80° Centigrade, for the purpose of ascertaining the patient's
ability to bear a higher temperature: proceed to 100°, and further to 130° or
140° as found requisite.
The apparatus should be utilized once or twice daily for at least one hour
each time according to the patient's state of health.
The same kind of apparatus modified to suit the circumstances of each part of
the body can be constructed adapted to various parts such as the shoulder, the
neck, the hand and arm, the knee, the spine and other portions of the frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
The improved apparatus for the application of heated air with or without other
gaseous bodies or vapour, substantially as described.
Dated the 3rd day of August 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.