Improved Method of and Appliances for using Electricity as a Medicinal Agent.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1992-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Appliances for using Electricity as a
Medicinal Agent.
I, WILLIAM GRIGG, of No. 33 Eastbourne Terrace, Hyde Park in the County
of Middlesex Medical Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention consists firstly, in various appliances for conveying an electric
current for medicinal purposes to any part of a human or animal body, under
various conditions, and, secondly, an electro magnetic generator and regulator,
which may be used with the appliances before referred to, or these may be used
in combination with any other form of generator or source of electricity.
In carrying my invention into effect, I may use plates, cups, discs or the like
wholly or partly of conducting material, and suitably connected to my electro-
magnetic machine, or any other source of current, so that said current may be
applied and caused to flow between any two or more points or parts of a living
body. I may use a conductive flooring as one pole, the other being applied as
may be most desirable for medicinal or hygienic purposes. Or I may use a plain
or medicated bath or baths as one or both poles, said bath or baths being suitably
connected to and with the electro-magnetic or other generator. I may use bands
or straps to permanently attach one or both poles to the body during treatment.
The second part of my said invention consists of a tube, preferably made of
some insulating material, upon which insulated copper wire is wound in successive
A magnetic core
layers, each layer however being shorter than that preceding it.
of laminated soft iron is arranged so as to be freely moved to and fro within the
tube forming the base of the coil. The two ends of the coil are connected through
a suitable magnetic contact-breaker with a battery or other source of electricity,
the connections leading from the apparatus to the appliances for placing upon the
body, forming a shunt to the battery circuit. Regulation is effected by the
insertion or withdrawal of the magnetic core, which is graduated to allow of
delicate manipulation. In order to further ensure regulation, I may cause the end
of each layer upon the coil to project for attachment to the contact bars of a
switch for cutting any required number of layers out of the circuit. Also, instead
of using a shunt to the battery connections, as a means for coupling the various
appliances used for making contact with a living body, with the apparatus, I may
use one or more layers of wire wound over the conical coil before mentioned, and
couple the two ends thereof directly to the appliances before mentioned, the afore-
said conical coil and its regulator remaining intact, and the action thereof being
The outer layer or layers of wire in this case may be of less sectional
area, and consequently of greater electrical resistance than that receiving the
direct or primary current, and therefore the current applied to the body is an
induced current of higher potential. This, however, is only applicable in certain
cases, and where adapted to the apparatus is so arranged that it may be cut out
and rendered inoperative, and the primary current used at will.
the same.
My invention is intended for the cure and prevention of diseases in human beings
and animals, the restoration and increase of vitality, elimination of deleterious
matter from the system, and the reduction of abnormal growths, gradually and
painlessly.
D: 4th dow of En 1802

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Appliances for using Electricity as a
Medicinal Agent.
I, WILLIAM GRIGG of No. 33 Eastbourne Terrace, Hyde Park in the County
of Middlesex Medical 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 consists firstly in various appliances for conveying an electric
current for medicinal purposes to any part of a human or animal body under various
conditions, and secondly, an electro-magnetic generator and regulator which may
be used with the appliances before referred to, or these may be used in combination
with any other form of generator or source of electricity.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I have appended.the
accompanying two sheets of drawings in which Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents one
mode of applying the current to an animal, and Figure 2 upon the same sheet is a
sectional elevation of a bath, arranged in conjunction with a generator. Figure 3,
Sheet 2 is a front elevation of the generator according to my invention, and
Figures 4 and 5 upon the same sheet are plan and end elevational views respec-
tively of the same apparatus.
In carrying my invention into effect I may use plates, cups, discs, or the like,
wholly or partly made of conducting material, and suitably connected to the electro-
magnetic machine hereinafter described, or to any other suitable machine of like
nature, so that said current may be caused to flow through the living body,
between any two or more points or parts thereon.
-
In Figure 1, Sheet 1, a cow is shewn, having a spinal connection b preferably
connected to the + pole of the generator at c the lower band or girth being insulated
and carrying a connecting band e for connecting the terminal of the generator
independently to the free flexible wire and appliance a. This, as an illustrative
instance, is a clip, for clipping the knee, leg, dewlap, or other part of the body to
which it is necessary to apply the current for curative purposes. Said clip may be
replaced by a cup, disc, belt, plate, sponge, acupuncture needle, or any other device
for conveying the current as aforesaid under varying conditions of its application.
A similar arrangement of parts, suitably adapted, may be used for curative
purposes upon the human body, the sizes, the shape, and general conformation being
modified therefor. Figure 2, Sheet 1, represents a bath, preferably of metal or
other conducting material, or otherwise if an immersed conducting plate or electrode
be employed. The generator g is contained in a case or box in proximity to the
bath fand its two terminals h and i are respectively connected to the bath fat jor
to an immersed electrode, and to a sponge k with an insulating holder or handle.
By this means a living body may be immersed in water, or medicated water, and an
electric connection thus established with the major nerve centres, and any part
afflicted may then be treated locally by sponging, the current of electricity flowing
through the body from or to said nerve centres, and traversing the affected part
aforesaid. I may, in lieu of a sponge k, use a disc, cup, belt, plate or any other
device for localising the effect of said electric current.
I may also use a conducting flooring or plate, with or without medicated or other
vapours, so that connection is established to and with a living body by the feet, or
other part thereof, the circuit being completed by means of any of the devices for
localisation herein before enumerated.
The second part of my said invention consists of an electro magnetic generator,
shewn in front elevation, plan and end views by Figures 3, 4 and 5, Sheet 2.
I employ a conical primary coil A, the step winding of which is shewn by the
plan view Figure 4, partly sectional. This arrangement enables the regulation,
(which is effected by the withdrawal or insertion of the magnetic laminated core B)

page_text: to be gradual, since the magnetic intensity decreases towards the smallest diameter.
The coils are preferably wound and coupled in series, and together act as an
interrupted primary electric circuit.
A magnet E is placed in series with the coil A, and an armature of soft iron or
other magnetic material is mounted upon a spring, or piece of metal plate H,
attached to a wound extension of the lower limb of the magnet E. In its normal
position said spring H rests against the point of an adjustable screw I, passing
through a standard D, which is connected to the main circuit, and thus causes the
magnet E to be vitalized, drawing the armature towards it, and immediately
breaking the circuit. This arrangement acts as a vibratory contact breaker, and is
adjusted by means of the regulating screw I and check screw G so that the induc-
tion shocks, on making and breaking the circuit are not harmful to invalids or
delicate bodies. Two terminals J and K, Figure 4 are provided for connecting the
apparatus to the positive and negative poles of a battery or other source of
electricity and one of these is coupled directly to one end of the wire forming the
coil. The other end thereof passes to the coils of the magnet E which are oppositely
coupled to H. The opposite pole of the battery also is connected to the standard Ď
which is also coupled to C, F, being interposed in any part of the coil circuit, past
the battery or the like.
The connections for applying the electric current to a living body are attached
to the terminals F and C, as herein before described. In effecting the regulation of
said generator, I may, in addition to the movement of the central laminated core B,
and regulating screws G and I, connect the several step windings of the coil
separately, and arrange a suitable switch so that each or any of these may be
separately operative, or all may be placed in series as before described, or in
multiple. Or in other cases I may increase the sensitiveness of regulation by
placing resistances in the circuit, or by increasing or diminishing the immersed
surfaces of the electrodes in the battery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First. The method of, and means for applying a current of electricity for
medicinal purposes to the living body by external connections substantially as
herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the appended drawings.
Second. The method of, and means for applying an electric current for medicinal
purposes to the living body through the medium of a bath, substantially as herein
described with reference to Figure 2 of the appended drawings.
Third. In using electricity for medicinal purposes the construction and employ-
ment of an electro-magnetic generator substantially as herein described with
reference to Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the appended drawings.
Fourth. In using electricity for medicinal purposes, the method of and means for
regulating the electro-magnetic generator referred to in the preceding claim
substantially as herein described.
Dand this tot dan of Novemba 1000
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.