Improved Device for Use in Preventing Sea-sickness and like Disturbances of the Human System.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improved Device for Use in Preventing Sea-sickness and like
Disturbances of the Human System.
I, CARLO CALLIANO, of Via Montebello 4, Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy,
Physician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention has for its object to provide means for preventing the morbid
gastric sensations generally followed by vomiting, to which many people are sub-
ject, when exposed to undulatory movements, such, for example, as occur on board
ship, in swings and even in railway or road carriages.
I have found that these morbid sensations (generally called sea-sickness) are
due to the independant movement of the stomach; and that gradual compression
all over the gastric region will dissipate the said morbid sensation and prevent
the depressing effects of nausea as well as vomiting, which is usually the con-
sequence.
To effect this compression I provide a belt which consists of a band of strong
fabric, which is partly elastic and is provided with an inflatable cushion of tri-
angular or approximately triangular figure in side view the internal side con-
forming in shape to the anatomic organization of the gastric region so as to be
capable when pressed forcibly against the body of arresting independent movement
of the stomach.
The belt is provided with buckles or fastenings by which it can be tightly
fastened around the body in such a situation that the cushion (which is situated
inside the band with its apex upwards) bears against the middle and upper part
of the belly above the stomach, that is to say, so as to cause pressure upon the
so-called mouth of the stomach.
It is necessary to provide means to either increase or decrease the pressure
against the stomach after the belt has been fastened according to the greater or
lesser violence of the undulatory movements experienced or according to the inten-
sity of the morbid sensations felt.
For this purpose a supplementary device is employed which consists of a screw
nut provided in the cushion, in which nut a screw engages, the said screw passing
through holes in the outer wall of the cushion and in the belt and being operated
by a handle situated outside the belt, the part of the screw which passes through
the belt being grooved and engaging with and being capable of turning freely
in a spring metal strip embedded in the belt. To this metal strip, rods parallel
with the said screw may be fixed, these passing through holes in the outer wall
of the cushion.
. On turning the screw in one or the other direction the cushion is either moved
toward or away from the belt, the rods serving as guides for the cushion and
preventing it from turning abnormally relatively to the belt.
The aforesaid metal strip is connected to the belt either by inserting it between
the material thereof or by sewing it between a leather band and the belt, or in any
other convenient manner.

page_text: After the belt has been secured in place on the body, the distance between the
belt and the cushion can be increased or diminished by turning the screw, so
that the pressure of the cushion upon the stomach can be adjusted.
The belt described may, without inconvenience or injury, be worn continually
in any kind of weather, irrespective of whether the want be felt or not, it being
efficient both as a preventative of sea-sickness and as a preventative of the analo-
gous feeling occurring in swings, on rocking-horses, or road or railway carriages,
and even for preventing vomiting due to purely nervous conditions.
Men can easily adjust the belt in place without undressing by fastening it
between the waist-coat and the shirt; but women should of course place it under
their stays.
Under ordinary circumstances, a pressure sufficient to prevent sea-sickness
from coming on, is obtained by moderately tightening the belt; but should
symptoms of sea sickness afterwards occur, the pressure of the cushion may be
easily increased by giving a few turns to the screw. The belt may have combined
-with it an additional device, to ensure a still more perfect action and render its
beneficial effects still greater.
It is known through the researches and observations of Raymond, Duchesne,
Onimus, Gautier, Vizial and others that a continuous electric current, when suit-
ably directed, produces an excellent soothing effect upon the human organism.
I utilise this phenomenon in such a way that the wearer of the aforesaid belt
can employ a continuous electric current in addition to the compression.
For this purpose, I construct the cushion (which in other or ordinary cases may
consist of any suitable material) of metal, or apply metal to it (preferably copper)
and I connect to the belt, at the side opposite the cushion, a metal plate presented
towards the interior of the belt and I connect this plate with one pole and the
cushion, or the metal on the cushion, with the other pole of an electric battery
which may be, for instance, a Chardin battery, placed in a pocket of the belt or
fastened by means of a hook to the belt or secured in any other suitable manner.
The cushion and plate should be covered with smooth skin or like material and
be moistened with warm salt water before the belt is used. The belt is applied
so that the cushion comes directly opposite the mouth of the stomach and the plate
with the middle part or
"small of the back.
In this manner a continuous current of electricity can be caused to traverse the
gastric region by passing between the cushion and plate thus producing a soothing
and beneficial effect upon the stomach.
Dated this 11th day of January 1808
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improved Device for Use in Preventing Sea-sickness and like
Disturbances of the Human System.
I, CARLO CALLIANO, of Via Montebello 4, Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy,
Physician, 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:-
This invention has for its object to provide means for preventing the morbid
gastric sensations generally followed by vomiting, to which many people are subject

page_text: when exposed to undulatory movements such for example as occur on board ship
in swings, and even in railway, or road carriages.
I have found that these morbid sensations (generally called sea-sickness) are
due to irritation of the coeliac plexus of the stomach; and that gradual compression
over the coeliac plexus region will dissipate the said morbid sensation, and prevent
the distressing effects of nausea, as well as vomiting, which are usually the
consequence.
To effect this compression I provide a belt which I will describe with reference
to the accompanying drawing. Figure 1 shewing in perspective a belt made in
accordance with my invention and Figure 2 a horizontal section of part thereof.
The belt consists of a band of strong fabric which is partly elastic and is pro-
vided with an inflatable cushion A of triangular, or approximately triangular,
figure in side view, the internal side conforming in shape to the anatomic organ-
ization of the gastric region so as to be capable when pressed forcibly against the
body of compressing the gastric region and the coeliac plexus contained therein.
The said cushion A may be made of any strong fabric or leather and filled with
cotton, wool, or the like. Or it may be made of wood or metal; for example a
convenient method of construction is to employ two metallic plates suitably bent
and soldered together and covered with thin leather or silk or the like.
The belt is provided with buckles, or fastenings, by which it can be tightly
fastened around the body in such a position that the cushion A (which is situated
inside the band with its apex upwards) bears against the middle and upper part
of the belly above the stomach, that is to say, so as to cause pressure upon the
so-called mouth of the stomach.
The figure of the cushion is approximately that of an isosceles triangle and its
upper angle is nearly equal to the epigastric angle, that is about 100°. The
angles of the sides with the base being about 40°. The base of the triangle is
somewhat rounded and is about 16 to 20 centimetres long, the sides being from
12 to 14 centimetres long. The thickness of the cushion near its centre is from
7 to 8 centimetres.
It is necessary to provide means to either increase, or decrease the pressure
after the belt has been fastened according to the greater, or lesser violence of the
undulatory movements experienced, or according to the intensity of the morbid
sensations felt.
For this purpose a supplementary device is employed which is represented in
Figure 2. It consists of a screw B passing through a screw hole in a metal plate
in the rear wall of the cushion and provided at its inner end with a nut to prevent
the screw being entirely withdrawn, a reduced neck or groove at the other end
of the said screw passing through a hole (of less diameter than the screwed part
of the screw) in a spring metal strip, or strips, D E embedded in the belt. The
screw is operated by a handle C situated outside the belt. To the said metal
strip (or strips) rods m n parallel with the said screw B, may be fixed, they passing
through holes in the outer wall of the cushion A and the metal plate therein as
shewn in Figure 2.
On turning the screw C in one, or the other, direction the cushion A, is either
moved toward, or away from, the belt the rods m n serving as guides for the
cushion and preventing it from turning abnormally relatively to the belt. The
displacement allowed to the cushion is conveniently of about 8 centimetres.
The aforesaid metal strip D E, is connected to the belt either by inserting it
hfween the material thereof, or by sewing it between a leather band and the belt,
or in any other convenient manner.
After the belt has been secured in place on the body the distance between the
belt and the cushion A can be increased, or diminished, by turning the screw C,
so that the pressure of the cushion upon the body can be adjusted.
The belt, described, may, without inconvenience, or injury, be worn continually
in any kind of weather, irrespective of whether its want be felt, or not, it being
efficient both as a preventative of sea-sickness and as a preventative of the analo-

page_text: gous feeling occurring in swings, or on rocking horses, or road, or railway
carriages, and even for preventing vomiting due to purely nervous conditions.
Men can easily adjust the belt in place without undressing by fastening it
between the waist-coat and the shirt, but women should of course place it under-
neath their stays.
Under ordinary circumstances, a pressure sufficient to prevent sea-sickness
from coming on, is obtained by moderately tightening the belt; but should
symptoms of sea-sickness afterwards occur, the pressure of the cushion may be
easily increased by giving a few turns to the screw. The drawing shews an addi-
tional arrangement by which the belt can be employed for galvanizing the stomach,
by means of a current of electricity obtained from a battery G, and traversing the
body between the cushion A and the plate F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A device for preventing sea-sickness and analogous morbid sensations, the
said device consisting of a belt, or band, provided with a cushion corresponding
in shape to that of the gastric region; so that the said cushion exerts, by the
action of the band, an appropriate pressure upon the said region and especially
upon the coeliac plexus.
2. A device of the kind claimed by the preceding claiming clause wherein the
cushion is connected to the belt, or band, with the intervention of a screw adjusting
device whereby the distance between the belt and the cushion can be varied;
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of September 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.