An Instrument for Measuring Odic or Nerve Force.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Instrument for Measuring Odic or Nerve Force.
HENRY GOTHWICKE WHITING Medical Electrician 11 Poultry Chambers Poultry,
Cheapside London E.C. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This instrument is for measuring the odic force or nerve force in the brain of man
and beast, and by this method determine the amount of nerve force in each internal
organ depending upon the nerve centre of the brain and spinal cord for its supply of
nerve force, and by these means I can diagnose the entire physical system for the
different diseases afflicting man and the lower animals, through the loss or excess of
nerve force.
It will show the effect of poisons inhaled by a person, such as sewer gas, tobacco
smoke &c. or poisons swallowed such as alcohol or any vegetable or mineral
poison.
It will show if any poisonous substance is on the body.
It will give the vitality of each phrenological organ or bump.
It will indicate the effect of contact of a dead animal, or part of such, on a living
person, showing the exhausting influence of a seal skin jacket worn by a lady, or a
jacket made of any other skin.
It also indicates the effect of atmospheric changes on highly nervous temperaments.
The instrument is constructed in the following manner.
1. A hollow electro-magnet is formed by winding insulated wire round a soft iron
tube, a few inches long, an armature is fastened across the bottom of the iron tube,
within the tube is placed a small electric battery, and to the armature of the electro-
imagnet is attached a metal chain having on the end of it an acorn shaped metal or
woden pendulum, so that when the wire of the electro-magnet is connected to the
inside battery the iron tube, the armature, the chain, & pendulum becomes an electro-
magnet.
2. It is proposed also to use a permanent magnet at times, instead of a battery,
this bound with insulated wire, having an armature, chain & pendulum, and bound to
the arm or arms of the permanent magnet layers of crystal but these can be
employed either separately or together.
3. The odicmeter is to rest upon a brass circle screwed to an upright pedestal sunk
into one end of a board about 16 inches long-6 inches wide & 1 inch thick, of walnut
or some other wood, upon which rests a sensitive galvanometer through which the
current of electricity has to pass, it being in the circuit ; under the pendulum a brass
plate is let into the board showing by circles the degrees of motion made by the
pendulum, at the other end of the stand is fixed a brass pedestal to which is screwed
an arm-rest, to ensure perfect steadiness in holding the odicmeter when employed
in diagnosing.
4. In using the odicmeter the operator grasps the instrument with his right hand,
being perfectly still & mentally passive & with the finger of the left hand he touches
the nerve centre of the brain or in other parts of the body & the pendulum will at
once move and show the degrees of nerve force in that nerve centre.
Dated this 25th day of July 1889.
HENRY GOTHWICKE WHITING,
Medical Electrician, 11, Poultry Chambers, Poultry, Cheapside, London, E.C.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Instrument for Measuring Odic or Nerve Force.
HENRY GOTHWICKE WHITING Medical Electrician 11 Poultry Chambers Poultry
Cheapside London E.C. 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 instrument is for measuring the odic force or nerve force in the brain & nerve
centres in man & beast, and by this method determine the amount of nerve force in
each internal organ depending upon the nerve centres of brain & spinal cord for its
supply of nerve force and by this I can determine & diagnose the entire physical
system for the different diseases afflicting man & the lower animals, through the loss
or excess of nerve force.
It will show the effects of poisons enhaled by a person, such as sewer gas or tobacco
smoke, or poisons swallowed, as alcohol, or any vegetable or mineral poison.
It will also show if any poisonous substances are on the body.
It will give the vitality of each phrenological organ or bump.
It will indicate the effect of contact of a dead animal or part of such on a living
person, showing the exhausting influence of a seal skin jacket worn by a lady or the
skin of any other dead animal on the body: i.e. that is the human body.
It will indicate the effect of atmospheric changes on highly nervous temperaments.
The instrument is constructed in the following manner.
A hollow electro-magnet is formed by winding insulated wire round a soft iron
tube a few inches long, an armature is fastened across the bottom of the iron tube,
within the tube is placed a small electric battery, and to the armature of the electro
magnet is attached a metal chain, having at the end of it an acorn shaped pendulum
of metal, wood or some other material containing within it steel filings, small permanent
magnets or other magnetizable substances, also small crystallic particles or mercury.
When the wire of the electro magnet is connected to the inside battery of the iron
tube, the tube, armature & the chain become an electro-magnet.
It is proposed also to use a permanent magnet at times instead of a battery: this
surrounded with insulated wire, having attached to it an armature, chain, & pendulum,
and bound to the arm or arms of the permanent magnet layers or slices of crystal, but
these can be employed seperately or together in the instrument which I call an
odicmeter.
The instrument is to rest upon a brass circle screwed to an upright pedestal sunk
into one end of a board about 16 inches long-6 inches wide & 1 inch thick of walnut
or some other wood, upon which rests a sensitive galvanometer, through which the
electric current as to pass, it being in the circuit. Under the pendulum a brass plate
is let into the board, showing by circles & lines the dogrees of motion made by the
pendulum.
At the other end of the stand is fixed another brass pedestal to which is screwed an
arm-rest to ensure perfect steadiness in holding the odiemeter, when employed for
diagnosing diseases.
In using the odiemeter the operator grasps the instrument with his right hand being
perfectly still, and mentally passive, & his right arm resting on the arm rest, with the
first finger of the left hand he touches the nerve centre of the brain or other nerve
centres of the body & the pendulum will at once move and show the degrees of nerve
force in that nerve centre.
The following is the description of the drawings illustrating the instrument.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. That this invention enables me to ascertain the quantity of nerve force in all
the nerve-centres of the body of man and the lower animals.
2nd. By knowing this I can correctly diagnose the entire physical system for the
different diseases afflicting man & beast.
3rd. This instrument will show the decrease of nerve force caused by all poisons
whether enhaled, swallowed or merely being in contact with the body.
4th. It will show the decrease of nerve force when a dead body is in contact with
man's living body.
5th. It will give the vitality of each phrenological organ or bump.
6th. It will indicate the effect of atmospheric changes on highly nervous tem-
peraments.
Dated this wil
P
1 1000
HENRY GOTH WICKE WHITING,
Medical Electrician, 11, Poultry Chambers, Poultry, Cheapside, London, E.C.