AN IMPROVED ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGICAL BATTERY FOR APPLICATION TO THE HUNAN BODY
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGICAL BATTERY FOR APPLICATION TO THE
HUNAN BODY." A communication from abroad by Alfred Charles
Garratt, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America,
Doctor of Medicine.
Scaled the 20th April 1869, and dated the 5th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1868.:
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in, tho.
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGICAL BATTERY FOR
APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN BODY," (a communication to me from abroad
by Alfred Charles Garratt, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United
States of America, Doctor of Medicine,) to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to produce an electro-physiological
battery which can be applied to and worn upon any part of the.

page_text: human body, which battery by the action of the natural perspiration
from the skin upon the dissimilar metals or clements composing the
battery as an exciting fluid shall generate a constant and efficient
primary current of electricity, thereby giving the circulation sought
in the descased part. This purpose is accomplished by arranging pairs
of plates, of any convenient size or shape, of dissimilar metals upon any
desirable flexible and non-conducting base, and insulating each pair of
plates from the the next pair and insulating all from the base by any good
insulating material like india-rubber. These plates are made from rolled
metal and of a proper thickness, say one-forticth of an inch. For
example, a zinc plate and a copper plate are soldered together, thus
making a pair of dissimilar metal plates; these pairs are then attached to
a durable and flexible non-conducting base by means of thread, or what
is preferable fine wire of proper material, the insulating material, sheets
of rubber cloth for instance, being placed between cach pair; the wire
or thread passing through holes holds the rubber cloth in place and
secures all firmly to the base. The pairs are thoroughly insulated
from the base by soft rubber or other insulating material placed
between the pairs and the base, and they are connected in such manner
as not to fluctuate the clectric current and at the same time the con-
nection is completely insulated so as to be neat and flexible. The
pairs may be arranged upon the base in either a circular, rectangular,
or any convenient shape or form as may be required for any particular
local application. Over the centre of the circular battery a round piccé
of rubber cloth or its equivalent is placed covering the ends of all
the plates, and over this round piece is placed a copper or silver button.
The object of the rubber is to insulate the ends of the plates from the
body and give free action to the electrical current, and the use of the
button intensifies the action of all the plates. Over the back of the
whole, in the rectangular as well as the circular batteries, is stitched or
áttached any suitable material to preserve a smooth exterior. This
improved battery for local treatment is to be applied directly to the
skin and thus worn, so that the living limb or body of the patient
acts as the vehicle for bridging the spaces between the pairs over the
insulations and supplying the metals with an excitant, which is the
natural perspiration of the body. The spaces between the different
plates and pairs are preserved by the insulations and by a peculiar
flange formed on the plates themselves. If the friction of the body

page_text: upon the surface of the plates does not keep them sufficiently bright
they can easily be rubbed with a piece of wash leather or any
suitable material, or fine sand paper for cleaning the zinc or zinc and
alloy plates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal. Patent Office on
the 4th May 1869..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special licence that I,
the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators;
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed;
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGICAL BATTERY
FOR APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN BODY," (a communication to me from
abroad by Alfred Charles Garratt, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United
States of America, Doctor of Medicine,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bristow Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the sanic is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
It has been a question among cloctricians for many years as to a
convenient method of applying electricity locally, inasmuch as cases
frequently occur in medical practise where great benefit to a patient
would result if a constant primary current of electricity could be
applied to the part of the body diseased, and members of the medical
profession have been at a loss to secure the proper means for locally
applying this primary current for continuous gentle action so much
desired. There have been various attempts to so construct a battery
as to secure the proper electrical current, but so far these attempts have
been attended with unsatisfactory results.
The object of this Invention is to produce an electro-physiological
battery which can be applied to and worn upon any part of the human
body, which battery by the action of the natural perspiration from
the skin upon the dissimilar metals or elements composing the battery
as an exciting fluid shall generate a constant and efficient primary
current of electricity, thereby giving the circulation sought in tho
diseased part. This purpose is accomplished by arranging pairs of
plates of dissimilar metals upon any desirable flexible and non-con-
ducting base, and insulating cach pair of plates from the next pair and
insulating all from the base by any good insulating material like rubber
cloth. These plates may be of any convenient shape or size, but those
shown in the accompanying Drawings are well adapted for the purpose
to which the Invention is put.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a
complete battery of a circular form; Figure 2, one pair of plates
dotached from the circular battery showing the soldering and method
of fastening the pairs to the base; Figure 3 represents a rectangular
or straight battery complete, which may be of any length or width
desired; Figure 4, a back view of the same showing the method of
construction; and Figures 5 and 6, single plates detached.
I a represents the zinc or zinc and bismuth plates, or any zinc com-
position; b, the copper plates or copper rolled with silver or any suitable
metal or composition dissimilar to zinc. The plates are made from
rolled metal and of a proper thickness, say one-fortieth of an inch. A
zinc plate and a copper plate are soldered together at c, thus making

page_text: a pair of dissimilar metal plates; these pairs are then attached to a
durable and flexible nonconducting base d by means of thread, or what
is preferable fine wire of proper material through holes e, the insulating
material, sheets of rubber cloth for instance, being placed between cachi
pair, as shown more plainly in Figure 4, the wire or thread passing
through the holes e, thus holding the rubber cloth f in place and
securing all firmly to the base d. Care is taken to have the wire pass
through the square holes g so that the complete insulation of one
pair from the next is not endangered by the possible contact of wire,
the insulation f keeping all the parts firm, while the base preserves
the proper position of all. The pairs are thoroughly insulated from
the base d by soft rubber or other insulating material placed between
the pairs and the base, and they are connected in such manner as
not to fluctuate the electric current, and at the same time the connection
is completely insulated so as to be neat and flexible. The pairs may
be arranged upon the base in either a circular, rectangular, or any other
convenient shape or form as may be required for any particular local
application. Over the centre of the circular battery a round piece of
rubber cloth or its equivalent is placed covering the ends of all the
plates, and over this round piece h is placed à copper or silver button i.
The object of the rubber is to insulate the ends of the plates from
the body and give free action to the electrical current, and the use of
the button i intensifies the action of all the plates. Over the back
of the whole (in the rectangular as well as the circular batteries) is
stitched or attached any suitable material ; to preserve a smooth
exterior. This improved battery for local treatment is applied directly
to the skin and thus worn, so that the living limb or body of the patient
acts as the vehicle for bridging the spaces between the pairs over the
insulations and supplying the metals with an excitant, which is the
natural perspiration of the body. The spaces between the different
plates and pairs are preserved by the insulations and by a peculiar
flange formed on the plates themselves shown at k, and by the
insulations f. If the friction of the body upon the surface of the plates
does not keep them sufficiently bright they can easily be rubbed with
a piece of wash leather or any suitable material, or fine sand paper
for cleaning the zinc or zinc and alloy plates.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention
for "An Improved Electro-physiological Battery for Application to the

page_text: Human Body," together with the manner in which the same is to be
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark
in conclusion that I claim as the Invention communicated to me by
the above-named Alfred Charles Garratt; an improved electro-
physiological battery constructed by arranging a series of pairs of
dissimilar metal plates as clements completely insulated from each
other and from the base, such clements being supplied with an excitant
from the body, the plates of each pair being firmly connected, and the
whole arranged upon a flexible non-conducting base, substantially as
described and set forth herein, or any modification or variation thereof
acting in the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.