Improvements in the Manufacture of Plasters for Medical Purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Plasters for Medical
Purposes.
WILLIAM WISE of 101 Piccadilly, Manchester Medical Electrician and
HENRY MILLS of 101 Piccadilly Manchester Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The insertion in any description of plaster of metallic sheets or plates for
conveying electricity or magnetism to the human body for curative purposes.
Dated this 13th day of April 1893.
WILLIAM WISE.
HENRY MILLS.
Peter J. Livsey,
Agent.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Plasters for Medical
Purposes.
We, WILLIAM WISE, of 101 Piccadilly, Manchester Medical Electrician, and
HENRY MILLS, of 101 Piccadilly, Manchester, Manufacturing Chemist, 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:-
Our invention relates to plasters which are or may be used for medical or
curative purposes when applied to the human body, and consists according to one
modification of our invention in combining with such plasters, such metals in thin
sheets, plates or particles as can be magnetised, and according to other modifications
of our invention in combining with such plasters, such metals in thin sheets, plate.
or particles as will produce when duly arranged and excited galvanic electricity,
and convey or transmit electricity to the human body, such plasters according to
one or the other modifications of our invention when applied to the human body
conveying or imparting magnetism or electricity thereto, as the case may be.
It has been found that mild currents of electricity or magnetism when in close
contact with the human body exert a beneficial effect thereon by strengthening and
tranquilising the nerves, equilising the circulation of the blood and giving a gentle
stimulus to all the functions of the body, and it is believed that by means of
plasters made according to our invention, magnetism or electricity can be applied
and imparted to the human body in a mild form, in a more continuous, effective and
simple manner, by reasons of the close adhesion of the plasters and metal plates to
the body, than by other means.
In carrying out our invention we form the plaster of any suitable porous cloth or
material which may if desired be perforated with small holes and coated on one
side with any required and preferred adhesive material or compounds in use for
making ordinary medical plasters which adhesive material is or may be spread
upon the face of the fabric when the material or compound is hot or has
been heated.
When making magnetic plasters we take such adhesive fabric or material and

page_text: apply, insert or embed thin plates of magnetised steel or iron (elastic or pliable by
preference) in the adhesive material, which thin plates are thus held or combined
with the prepared material forming the plaster, and if desired may be otherwise
and further secured to the fabric, for instance by forming on the metal plates
points or spikes which can be passed through the fabric and then clenched on the
other side of it.
In order to prevent any ridge or sharp edge round the edges of the metal plates
or sheets, the adhesive compound has increased thickness at such edges in order
that the edges of the metal plates and adhesive compound may be on a level and
thus prevent any abrasion when applied to the skin of the patient, or the plates
are or may be pressed or sunk by pressure into the adhesive face of the plaster.
Fig. 1 represents a flat view of a magnetic plaster according to our invention,
the plaster is or may be in the form of a belt or in other form.
a, is the cloth coated with the required adhesive compound and forming the
plaster; b, thin plates of magnetised steel or iron pressed when heated into the
adhesive compound of the plaster.
In place of thin plates of maguetised metal, suitable metal may be reduced into
fine particles magnetised and then embedded in the adhesive compound on the face
of the plaster..
When making electric or galvanic plasters according to our invention, we take
the plasters prepared as hereinbefore described and embed in the adhesive material
of each plaster one or more pairs of separate plates or sheets of thin pliable (by
preference) metal. These plates are embedded when hot or when the adhesive
compound is soft, each pair of plates consist of one plate of zinc and one of
copper placed apart, but any other two metals may be used producing galvanic
electricity such as tin and silver.
Each pair of plates, zinc and copper, is connected by a metallic conductor which
between the plates is or may be insulated by a thin coat of india-rubber in solution
or other suitable insulating material.
The ends of the conductor (which is a thin flat strip of metal) come under and in
contact with each plate or element.
The conductor between the two elements is also embedded in the adhesive
material of the plaster and is thus made to adhere thereto.
The conductor may pass on the outside or non-adhesive side of the plaster,
each end passing through a small slit or hole in the plaster to its adhesive side
where they come in contact with the plates on the adhesive side of the plaster.
Fig. 2, illustrates one form of our electric or galvanic plaster.
a, is the plaster; c, the copper and d, the zinc plate or element and e, the
conducting strip between the two.
These plates may be of any desired form, say such as represented by Fig. 3, so
as to be more pliable and elastic and ready to conform closely to the surface of the
body to which they are applied.
Fig. 4, illustrates by a face view, and Fig. 5, an edge view another modification
of our electric plaster.
The pair of plates in this case may be both one metal but we prefer copper and
zinc, and they have or may have a projection or part e, and e¹, from each plate c
or d, coming through a slight slit or hole in the material a, of the plaster, and these
two projections e and e', may be joined at the back or non-adhesive side of the
plaster a, to produce galvanic electricity when applied to the body and these
two ends e, and e¹, of the conductor may be separated when required so as to be
attached to conducting wires from the poles of a battery or other source of
electricity by which means strong currents of electricity may be imparted or
conveyed through these metal plates c and d, which then form conductors or
electrodes to parts of the body where required for medical, thérapeutic or surgical
purposes.
When electrical plasters according to our invention are applied to the skin, of
the human body, the moisture exuding therefrom which is of acidulous nature acts

page_text: upon the plates forming the two elements and produces a mild current of electricity
that operates upon the skin and adjoining parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is.
1. The combination with medical plasters of plates or particles of magnetised
iron or steel, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
2. The combination with medical plasters of one or more pairs of plates or
sheets of metal such as copper and zinc connected by a conductor for generating
and conveying or imparting electricity when applied to the skin of the human body,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. The combination with medical plasters of one or more plates or pairs of plates
of metal, which when the plaster is applied to the skin of the human body can be
connected to conductors from a battery or other source of electricity and which
pairs of plates may be galvanic couples substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
4. Medical, magnetic and electric plasters combined together substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this Twenty-second day of November 1893.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.