IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORTS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRUSSES AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORTS." A communication from abroad by John
Robinson Alexander, of the City of Montreal, in the District of Montreal,
and Province of Quebec, Canada.
Sealed the 28th August 1877, and dated the 27th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th April 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORTS."
A com-
munication from abroad by John Robinson Alexander, of the City of Montreal, in
the District of Montreal, and Province of Quebec, Canada.
The object of this Invention, which it is proposed to designate an electro-galvanic
truss or abdominal support, is to provide for the treatment of hernia, prolapsus
uteri, and other like complaints, a surgical appliance, which shall embrace the
following improvements over the devices which have hitherto been in use for that
purpose. It obviates the necessity for using an elastic spring round the body,
which not only injures the muscles, but affects the nervous system, causing disease
of the kidneys and bladder, and general debility, and at the same time affords fully
as firm a fulcrum to which to attach the pads pressing on the hernia, retaining
them when they are once adjusted in their position on the body of the patient for
any length of time, and allowing the wearer at night to loosen the truss without
its being in any way sprung, and to replace it in its exact position in the morning.
The Invention also has reference to an improved composition of metal, of which
the pressure pads are formed, which by its stimulating power raises a certain
amount of internal irritation, thus causing the serous membranes to throw out a
coagulable lymph, which materially assists in procuring the adhesion of the walls of
the canal to the cord or round ligament.
The construction of the Invention consists mainly of a metallic band fitting the
body and made in two parts joined together at the back by a hinge arranged so as

page_text: to be adjusted to alter the length, and secured together in front upon this band
being placed the pressure pads.
In carrying out this Invention the pieces which form the band or fulcrum of the
truss are made preferably of untempered metal, and arranged so as to fit easily and
comfortably round the body and over the hips. If desired, they may, for greater
ease to the wearer, be covered with chamois leather or other soft substance. These
band pieces are secured together at the back by means of a hinged piece, on either
side of the hinge being formed any suitable number of holes, and further from the
centre a slot. Upon each of the band pieces is formed a pin projecting slightly
beyond its face, so that when the parts are in position it will just engage in any
one of the holes. Screws are secured to the band pieces in such positions as to be
adjustable in the slots, and tapped so as to pass through them and threaded into
eyes formed in plates covered with chamois leather or other suitable substance, so
as to form pads which press on either side of the spine of the wearer.
When it is required to adjust the length of the band, it is simply necessary to
turn the plates so as to alightly loosen the screws sufficiently to release the pins
from those particular holes in which they are engaged, transfer them to others (thus
either loosening out or tightening up the band), and then by turning the screws
again secure all the parts in place.
A junction piece is provided (which when the truss is in position with fit on the
centre of the front of the body), such junction piece being made hollow to receive
front ends of the band pieces. which may be secured therein by springs or by any
other suitable fastening.
The pressure pads for the hornia, which may be of any suitable form, have loosely
secured inside the outer face of each one end of a sleeve turned down, its other end
being threaded to screw into the thick part of a ring sliding on the band and secured
thereon in any desired position, as for example by means of a set screw, but
preferably by making the screwed end of the sleove of sufficient length to pass
through the thick part of the ring and press against the band.
If desired a pin may be secured to the pad, such pin projecting beyond the face
and playing in the sleeve.
A spring is employed for imparting the necessary pressure to the pad, such spring
bearing against the face, the arrangement of the sleeve and spring (with, in some
cases, the pin) being such as to exert a uniform and steady pressure on the injured
part, never varying in direction, and incapable of being displaced by any motion of
the body.
The spring used may be either pyramidal or an oval flat spring, or a circular or
semi-circular spring, and of the strength required by the necessities of the wearer.
In some cases it may be found desirable to have the spring bearing directly insido
the bottom of the pad.
The pressure pads may be of any material, but it is preferred in most cases to
render them either magnetic or galvanic in their action in the former case, by
making the pad of any magnetized metal, and in the latter (or where galvanic
action is required) the pads will be composed in equal proportions of any two or
more metals, which in combination are respectively electro-positives and electro-
negatives to each other.
The construction of the Invention when used as an abdominal support will be
precisely similar to that for the treatment of hernia, with the exception that the
pressure pads are dispensed with and a plate is attached to the junction piece (in
this case made somewhat larger) by pins passing through it and having caps or nuts
on the outside, the necessary pressure being given by means of springs of the kind
already described for the pads. This plate may be either of plain metal, magnetic
or galvanic as before described, and varied in shape to suit the form of the wearer.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
October 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex.
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUSSES AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORTS." A com-
munication from abroad by John Robinson Alexander, of the City of Montreal,
in the District of Montreal, and Province of Quebec, Canada.
This said Invention has for its object providing for the treatment of hernia,
prolapsus uteri, and other like complaints, a surgical appliance possessing the
following advantages over the devices which have hitherto been in use for those
purposes, videlicit:-Obviating the necessity for using an elastic spring round the
body, which not only injures the muscles, but affects the nervous system, and causes
disease of the kidneys and bladder, and general debility, affording at the same time
fully as firm a fulcrum to which to attach the pads pressing on the hernia; also
retaining them when they are once adjusted in their position on the body of the
patient for any length of time, and allowing the wearer at night to loosen the truss
without its being in any way sprung, and to replace it in its exact position in the
morning.
The said Invention has reference also to an improved composition of metal, of
which to form the pressure pads, which by its stimulating power raises a certain
amount of internal irritation, thus causing the serous membranes to throw out a
coagulable lymph, which materially assists in procuring the adhesion of the walls
of the canal to the cord or round ligament.
The improved truss or support in its general features consists of a metallic band
fitting the body and made in two parts joined together at the back by a hinge
arranged so as to be adjusted to alter the length, and secured together in front upon
this band being placed the pressure pads.
But in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a plan of the truss; Figure 2 is a front view
of the same.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the back hinge; Figure 4 is a section through
the same.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation taken through the pressure pad.
Figure 6 represents a plan of an abdominal support constructed according to the
said Invention; Figure 7 is a front view of the same.
And Figure 8 is a sectional view of the umbilical pad.
Referring to the arrangement shewn in Figures 1 to 5, A, A, are the pieces which
form the band or fulcrum of the truss, made preferably of untempered metal, and
arranged so as to fit easily and comfortably round the body and over the hips. If
desired they may, for greater ease to the wearer, be covered with chamois leather
or other soft substance. The pieces A, A, are secured together at the back by means
of a piece B hinged as shown at 6 on each side of the hinge being formed as shown
in Figure 3, any suitable number of holes C, and further from the centre a slot D.
Upon each of the said pieces A is formed a pin E projecting slightly beyond its face,
so that when the parts are in position it will just engage in any one of the holes C;
F, F, are screws secured to the pieces A, A, in such positions as to be adjustable in
the slots D, and tapped so as to pass through them and threaded into eyes G formed
in plates H, covered with chamois leather or other suitable substance as at I, so as
to form pads which press on either side of the spine of the wearer.
When it is required to adjust the length of the band A it is simply necessary to
turn the plates H so as to slightly loosen the screws G sufficiently to release the
pins E from those particular holes C in which they are engaged, transfer them to

page_text: others (thus either loosening out or tightening up the band) and then by turning
the screws, again secure all the parts in place.
K is a junction piece, which when the truss is in position, will fit on the centre
of the front of the body, such junction piece being made hollow to receive the front
ends of the pieces A, which in this case are secured therein by springs a as shewn,
but may be secured by any other suitable fastening.
L are the pressure pads for the hernia, the composition of which is herein-after
described. The pad proper, L, which is generally of some such form as that shown
in the Drawings, but may be altered to suit varying requirements of different cases
and regions of rupture and of bodily conformation of patients, has secured loosely
inside the outer face L', the flanged end N¹ of a sleeve N, its other end being
threaded to screw into the thick part 0¹ of a ring O sliding on the band A, and
secured thereon in any desired position; as for example, by means of a set screw P
as shewn in Figure 5, but preferably by making the screwed end of the sleeve N
of sufficient length to pass through the part 01, and press against the band A.
If desired a pin M may be secured where shown to the pad L, such pin projecting
beyond the face L' and playing in the sleeve N.
Qis the spring which gives the necessary pressure to the pad, such spring bearing
against the face L', the arrangement of the sleeve and spring (with, in some cases,
the pin) being such as to exert a uniform and steady pressure on the injured part,
never varying in direction, and incapable of being displaced by any motion of
the body.
The spring used may be either, as shown in the Drawings, pyramidal or an oval
flat spring, or a circular or semicircular spring, and of the strength required by the
necessities of the wearer.
In some cases it may be found desirable to have the spring bearing directly
inside the bottom of the pad.
The pressure pads L, L, may be of any convenient material, but it is preferred in
most cases to render them either magnetic or galvanic in their action; in the former
case by making the pad of any magnetized metal, and in the latter (or where
galvanic action is required) the pads are composed in equal proportions of any two
or more metals, which in combination are respectively electro-positives and electro-
negatives to each other.
Although I have mentioned that the metals (i.e. the electro-positive and electro-
negative) will, in the galvanic pad, be equal to each other, it must be clearly under-
stood that I do not confine myself exactly to these proportions, as they may be
altered to suit varying conditions of age, sex, disease, and strength of patient.
The surgical appliance which forms the subject matter of the said Invention,
when used as an abdominal support, is precisely similar to that for the treatment
of hernia, with the exception that the pressure pads L, L, are dispensed with, and a
plate R (see Figures 6 and 7) is attached to the junction piece K (in this case made
somewhat longer) by pins S passing through it, and having caps or nuts S¹ on the
outside, the necessary pressure being given by means of springs T of the kind
already described for the pads L. This plate R may be either of plain metal,
magnetic or galvanic, as before described, and varied in shape to suit the form of
the wearer.
It is proposed to designate the appliance which forms the subject matter of the
said Invention "An Electro-galvanic Truss or Abdominal Support."
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. A truss or abdominal support, the band of which is composed of two
untempered metal straps (not springs) secured together at one end and adjustably
connected at the other.
Second. In any truss or abdominal support the combination with the junction

page_text: piece K of the pieces A, A, received therein, and secured by springs, or in any other
usual manner, substantially as herein-before described.
Third. In any truss or abdominal support, the combination with the side pieces
A, A, each provided with a pin and screw of the picce B, hinged and perforated, and
the plates H, with or without pads I, all substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
Fourth. The combination of the pad L, sleeve N, ring O, and spring Q with the
band A, substantially as herein-before described.
Fifth. The combination of the pad L, pin M, sleeve N, ring O, and springs Q, all
substantially as herein-before described.
Sixth. The combination with the band A and junction piece K of the abdominal
support R secured thereon, and provided with springs for pressure, substantially as
herein-before described.
Seventh. A hernia pad or abdominal support composed of two or more metals,
being respectively electro-positives and electro-negatives to each other, and combined
substantially in the proportions herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON.
(LS)