Improved Method of and Apparatus for the Treatment of Disorders of Human Beings and other Living Objects.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
COMI LEIP
Improved Method of and Apparatus for the Treatment of Disorders
of Human Beings and other Living Objects.
We, ELECTROLIBRATION COMPANY, of Birmingham, Alabama, United States
of America, and JOHN NORWOOD WEBB, of 1425 New York Avenue, Northwest,
Washington, in the District of Columbia, United States of America, President of
The Electrolibration Company, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for the treatment of disorders
of human beings and other living objects.
The invention consists essentially in treating disorders by connecting the animal
or other being with a suitable contact-piece and, through an electrical conductor,
with a suitable terminal subjected to a cooling or heating action, contact-piece and
terminal being relatively thermo-electrically positive and thermo-electrically
negative, either normally or when one is heated and the other cooled; the invention
furthermore embraces an apparatus for treating disease, consisting of a part to be
applied to the subject under treatment or at the place of treatment, and another
part to be subjected to a lower or higher temperature than the first, the parts
being relatively thermo-electrically positive and thermo-electrically negative, either
normally or when one is heated and the other cooled, and being connected by..an
electric conductor.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a representation of a manner of applying the invention, and
Figure 2.is a sectional view of a suitable apparatus.
The apparatus is placed in condition to exert electro-motive force, or get electric
tension, or establish a potential, by exposing one end to a higher temperature than
the other, either by placing the one end in contact with or near a hot or warm
object, as against the body or in the room of a house, and the other end to a lower
temperature than the 'first, either by placing it in the ground or subjecting it to
other cold surroundings.
In Figure 1 of the drawings, one end of an electrical conductor A is provided
with a contact-piece B which is to be strapped or otherwise applied to any suitable
part, as, for instance, according to the drawings, to the wrist of a patient. The
other end of the conductor is provided with a terminal C composed of or containing
a substance or substances preferably relatively negative in the thermo-electric
scale to the contact-piece. The terminal is designed to be placed in some position
where its temperature will be lower than that of the contact-piece, as in an
insulated vessel containing cold water, or ice, so that when the parts are composed
of proper substance, the result will be an electrical potential, when the circuit is
not closed.
In Figure 2 of the drawings, a preferred form of apparatus is illustrated. In
this figure, A represents a conductor of suitable metal such as copper or tinsel,
preferably properly insulated. B represents a plate of some substance preferably
high in the thermo-electric scale, such as aluminium, or nickel, electrically connected
with the conductor and provided with a strap, or the like, to serve as a means of
attachment to the body. The terminal C, which is here shown as ellipsoidal in
form, is also electrically connected with the conductor, is, preferably, thermo-
electrically negative to the contact-piece, and may be composed of a case of copper,
brass, or other suitable metal, filled with powdered plumbago and sulphur ; or, if
desired, it may be filled with galvanized-iron wire, cut in lengths of proper size to
be received by the case. When arranged as described, the case serves as a

page_text: receptacle for the substance such as plumbago or wire, and as a conductor of
temperature, in this way also conducing to the thermo-electric action; or it serves
to couple with another substance in the thermo-electric series.
.
If desired, the terminal may be in circuit with the being treated and the contact-
piece.
It is to be observed that the parts connected by the conductor are preferably,
relatively great as compared with the surface of cross-section of the conductor which
it is best to have flexible.
There may, of course, be the reverse arrangement of substances in the thermo-
electric scale; and different aggroupments may be chosen and different, relative
temperatures be employed for different strength of electro-motive force and different
effects.
By enlarging the end to be heated, the potential may be exerted upon the
surrounding air.
The instrument for carrying the invention into effect is called the Electropoise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The method of treating disease, which consists in bringing the body of a
patient into contact with an object in the thermo-electric scale, and, this object
being connected by a conductor with another object in the thermo-electric scale,
subjecting this other object to a temperature lower or higher than that to which
the first is exposed.
2. The apparatus for treating disease, consisting of a contact-piece, being an
object in the thermo-electric scale, designed to be exposed to a certain temperature
and to be connected with the body of the patient, a conductor, and an object also
in the thermo-electric scale, but designed to be subjected to a temperature different
from that to which the first is subjected, both objects being connected by the
conductor, substantially as described.
3. A portable thermo-electric appliance, the ends, or parts of which for heating
or cooling are of relatively great size to the intermediate conductor, which is a
suitable flexible connection, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of June 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT.
Agents for the Applicants.