Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 21st Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
I, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of 52 Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved apparatus or devices for treating the eyes by
electricity for curative purposes.
The said apparatus consists essentially of a tube or casing containing a small electric
battery, and one end of which is enlarged and made of substantially the same shape as
the opening in an eye-bathing glass, to enable it to fit the portions of the face in
proximity to the eye.
In carrying my said invention into practice, I preferably construct the said tube or
casing of metal, so that it forms one electrode of the battery. The other electrode,
which should be electro positive to the metal of the tube or casing, is contained within
the said tube or casing, and is made of such size that it can be inserted therein with a
piece of calico or other fibrous material wrapped around it. This fibrous material,
when saturated with acid, serves as the exciting medium between the two electrodes.
The battery circuit is composed of a wire wound around, but insulated from, the
exterior of the tube or casing. The ends of this wire extend within the said tube or
casing, one end being in contact with the internal electrode, while the other end is in
contact with the tube or casing. The current generated then flows from the inner or
positive electrode, through the wire circuit to the tube or casing or the negative
electrode, and thence through the exciting medium back to the positive electrode.
The outer end of the tube or casing, that is to say, the end which, when the
apparatus is in use, is most remote from the eye, is provided with a screw cap, in order
that the inner electrode may be readily removed and the battery re-charged. The
other end of the tube is provided internally with a flange which holds the inner
electrode in position.
To prevent the escape of fluid into the part of the tube in proximity to the eye
I provide a stopper, one end of which is in the form of a pin designed to be inserted

page_text: into a hole in the centre of the cap, while the other end carries a disc of india-rubber
or other suitable material adapted to bear against the said flange when the stopper is
in place.
When the said stopper is removed and the apparatus is applied to the eye, the hole
in the cap permits a patient to see through the apparatus.
I sometimes modify the apparatus by constructing the tube or casing of vulcanite
or other non-conducting material. In this case both electrodes, with the exciting
medium between them, are inserted within the said tube or casing. As, however, the
tube or casing is of non-conducting material it is unnecessary to insulate the wire
circuit therefrom.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Eyes by Electricity for Curative Purposes.
I, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of 52 Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Electrician, 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 :-
My invention relates to improved apparatus or devices for treating the eyes by
electricity for curative purposes. The said apparatus consists essentially of a tube or
casing containing or forming a part of a small electric battery, and one end of which
is enlarged and made of substantially the same shape as the opening in an eye-bathing
glass, to enable it to fit the portions of the face in proximity to the eyes.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is an elevation.
Figure 2 a plan, and
-
Figure 3 a central vertical section of apparatus constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 4 is an elevation.
Figure 5 an underside view, and
Figure 6 a central vertical section of a modified form of apparatus.
a is the shell or casing of the apparatus, which is provided at one end with the
enlargement b forming an eye piece, and at the other end with a cap c which is
screwed into the said shell or casing. In the apparatus shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3,
this shell or casing is of metal and forms one electrode of the battery. d is the other
electrode, which is preferably electro positive to the metal of the shell or casing, and
is contained within the latter.
The electrode d is made of such size that it can be inserted within the shell or casing
with a piece e of calico or other fibrous material wrapped around it. This fibrous
material, when saturated with acid, serves as the exciting medium between the two
electrodes.
The battery circuit is composed of a wire wound around, but insulated from, the
exterior of the shell or casing. One end of this wire extends within the said shell or
casing, and is in contact with the electrode d, while the other end is in contact with
the casing a. The current generated then flows from the inner or positive electrode d
through the wire circuit to the tube or casing or the negative electrode a, and thence
through the exciting medium e back to the positive electrode.
The inner electrode d may be readily removed and the battery recharged, by
removing the screw cap c. A flange / prevents the electrode d from falling out of
the casing through the eye piece b.
To prevent the escape of fluid into the eye piece, I provide a stopper i fixed upon a
pinj. The stopper has a disc k of india-rubber, or other suitable material, adapted to

page_text: fit within the annular opening 1, when the stopper is in place. One end of the pin j
serves as a handle for manipulating the stopper, while the other end enters a hole
in the cap c and assists in retaining the stopper in position. When the said stopper is
removed and the apparatus is applied to the eye, the hole in the cap permits a person
using the apparatus to see beyond the same.
I sometimes modify the apparatus hereinbefore described by constructing the shell
or casing of vulcanite or other non-conducting material. In this case, however, the
electrode a is provided, which, with the electrode d and the exciting medium e
between them, is inserted within the said tube or casing, as shown in Figure 6. As,
however, the tube or casing is of non-conducting material it is unnecessary to insulate
the wire circuit therefrom. The conducting wire is connected at one end g to the
electrode d, as heretofore; the other end however is connected to the electrode a¹.
The edge of the eye-piece b is provided with a metallic ring m. This ring is
preferably formed in two parts n, o, insulated from each other at p and connected with
the wire f so as to form part of the battery circuit. With this arrangement the circuit
is only completed when the apparatus is applied to the face.
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 :-
.
First. Improved apparatus comprising a shell or casing which contains or forms a
part of an electric battery, and which is adapted to fit the portions of the face in
proximity to the eyes, for the purpose specified.
Second. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawing, for the purpose specified.
Third. The modification of my invention substantially as described with reference to
Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawing.
C. B. HARNESS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.