IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS TO BE WORN UPON THE HEAD FOR THE ALLEVIATION AND CURE OF NERVOUS AFFECTIONS.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS TO BE WORN UPON
THE HEAD FOR THE ALLEVIATION AND CURE OF NERVOUS AFFECTIONS.”. -A
communication from abroad by Judah Moses, of Hartford, Connec-
ticut, United States of America, Optician.
-
Sealed the 10th October 1872, and dated the 22nd August 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
•
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 22nd August 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I-am-in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS TO BE WORN UPON THE HEAD FOR THE ALLEVIATION AND
Awwa A Noavan AUDSARIAss "and have notitioned Her Mainsto to

page_text: unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn, Declaration that it has
been communicated to me from abroad by Judah Moses, of Hartford,
Connecticut, United States of America, Optician.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, forming
a part of this Specification :-
The object of this Invention is the production of a simple and efficient
apparatus to be applied to and worn upon a person's head and which
may be so applied without inconvenience to the wearer, and will
generate and conduct galvanic or voltaic electricity directly to those
portions of the head that are attacked by nervous affections such as
neuralgia, headache, earache, toothache, catarrh, and the like.
The said Invention consists in the combination with a suitable con-
ductor of electricity, constructed and adapted to be secured to and
worn upon or around a person's head, of a battery or batteries for
generating electricity, whereby the therapeutic effects of electro-
galvanism upon the nerves of the head may be obtained in a simple,
convenient, and effective manner.

page_text: shown voltaic piles are employed which consist of alternate plates of
zinc a, and platina b; separated by any suitable material; say pieces of
cloth c, which have been previously saturated with lime or acidulated
water and dried. The plates which rest against the skin should be of
opposite polarity, say zinc on the one side to constitute the negative polo
and platina on the opposite side to consitute the positive pole of the
duplex battery, as will be understood by reference to Figure 4.
These voltaic piles are secured to the spring or band in the present
instance by rivets d, insulated preferably by rubber tubes or a coating of
some insulating material to prevent metallic contact with the plates
constituting the voltaic piles.
In Figure 2 the said Invention is put into practice through the
medium of a pair of spectacles where the voltaic piles are connected.to
the outer ends of the temples or bows A' of the spectacles. In this
instance the ordinary length of temple would bring each voltaic pile to
a position between the external part of the ear and the head a place
where hair does not usually grow, and hence directly against the skin;
or if the front B of the spectacles is thrown up on the crown of the
head the piles would rest just in front of the ear against the skin.
In Figure 3 the said Invention is put into practice through the
medium of a pair of eye glasses where the voltaic piles are secured to
the nose piece C, so as to rest against opposite sides of the nose. And
this location of the voltaic piles may be adopted in the case of a pair of
spectacles. It is obvious that the moisture of the skin or perspiration
coming in contact with the voltaic piles and especially when in
sufficient quantity to wet the cloth between the plates a, b, is sufficient
to create a decided electrical current which must necessarily pass
through the part of the head between the poles of the voltaic piles or
batteries.
) If it should be desired to increase the effect of the voltaic piles they
may be immersed in brine or acidulated water or acid before the band,
spectacles, or eye glasses are applied to the head; or a receptacle con-
taining brine or acidulated water may be attached to the apparatus to
allow the same, to reach the voltaic piles, and thus kccp a constant
amment passing from the one nile through the metal conductor to the

page_text: This Invention is not limited to the combination with a metal band
adapted to be worn upon the head of any particular kind of battery, the
voltaic pile has been illustrated because it is the simplest and most
casily applied. Neither is tho said Invention limited to any particular
form or shape of metal band so long as the same is a suitable conductor
of electricity and is so constructed as to be worn upon the head or any
part thereof.
The beneficial action of electro-magnetism upon the nervous system is
so well known at the present day that it is unnecessary to enter into a
discussion on the subject; suffice it to say that by causing a current of
electricity to pass through the head to operate upon the nerves thereof
excellent prophylatic and therapeutic results are obtained.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, I wish it understood that I claim, the combina-
tion of a voltaic pile or piles, or of an electro-galvanic battery or
batterics with a metallic spring band, clasp, or conductor, designed to be
worn upon some part of the human head, and so arranged that an
electrical current may be passed through the head or some portion
thereof, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
2
Witness,
CHAS. J. Gooch.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)