IMPROVED COM- BINED GALVANIC BATTERIES AND MEDICATED PADS FOR THE CURE OF BODILY DISEASES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVED COM-
BINED GALVANIC BATTERIES AND MEDICATED PADS FOR THE CURE OF BODILY
DISEASES." A communication from abroad by Henry Elbridge Hunter, of
Hinsdale, in the County of Cheshire, State of New Hampshire, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVED COMBINED GALVANIC BATTERIES AND MEDICATED
PADS FOR THE CURE OF BODILY DISEASES." [A communication from abroad by
Henry Elbridge Hunter, of Hinsdale, in the County of Cheshire, State of New
Hampshire, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to furnish combined galvanic batteries and
medicatod pads for the cure of bodily diseases.
The Invention consists in the combination of a galvanic battery formed of plates
of zinc, felt, and copper, and a medicated pad, so that a circuit of galvanic electricity
may be incited by moisture absorbed from the patient's body, while at the same
time the patient receives benefit from the medicaments contained in the pad; also
in the combination of a spiral conduction wire with two batteries and pads, so that
the current of electricity will pass through both batteries and pads and the patient's
body in the same circuit; and also in the combination of strips of webbing with
two batteries and pads and a spiral conduction wire, so that the batteries, and pads,
and conduction wire can be connected with and secured to the patient's body.
The battery is formed of a ring plate of zinc, upon the rear side of which is
placed a circular plate of felt and a circular plate of copper, which is secured to the
centre. of the front side of the felt plate. The copper plate is made smaller than
the cavity of the zinc plate so as to leave an open space between the zinc and
copper. Another set of plates may be placed at the rear side of the felt if desired.
Upon the rear side of the felt plate placed the pad, consisting of a layer of
suitable medicated absorbent material, covered with a plate of felt or other suitable

page_text: material, which felt plate may be covered with a disc of silk. The pad is held in
place by a narrow ring plate of zinc, and the whole is secured together by turning
the outer edge of one of the zinc plates down over the edge of the other, so that the
patient may receive benefit from the medicaments contained in the pad. With this
construction when the device is in use the moisture of the patient's body moistens
the zinc, felt, and copper plates of the battery and excites a galvanic action, the
current of electricity passing between the zinc, copper, and moistened felt and the
patient's body, thus making a circuit. The patient thus receives benefit from
the current of electricity and from the medicninents contained in the pad. The
combined batteries and medicated pads may be worn singly, or they may be worn
in pairs to increase the power and efficiency. In this case a point or pin is formed
upon the side of the rim of each battery and pad, which points are connected with
the batteries. With the points are also connected the ends of a spiral conducting
wire, so that the circuit may pass through the one battery, through the conducting
wire to and through the other battery, and thence through the patient's body to
the first battery, completing the circuit, taking the medicaments of the pads in its
course, and thus giving the patient the benefit of the therapeutic properties of the
medicaments at the saine time that he receives the benefit of the electricity. For
convenience in connecting the batteries by the conduction wire the ring plate of
the one battery may be made of zinc and the central plate of copper, and in
the other battery the ring plate may be made of copper and the central plate of
zinc. Loops are attached to the opposite sides of the rims of the two batteries
and pads to receive the ends of the elastic webbing. One of the strips of webbing
is provided with loops or keepers to receive the spiral conducting wire and support
it in place, at the same time that the said webbing keeps the wire out of contact
with the patient's body. The webbings are provided with slides, buckles, or other
fastenings, so that the webbings can be extended and contracted as the size of the
patient's body, or the part of his body under treatment, may require. The webbing
upon the side opposite the wire is supplied at one end with a hook or other
fastening so that it can be readily attached to and detached from the loop on the
battery for convenience in putting the batteries and pads on and taking them off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
August 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVED COMBINED GALVANIC BATTERIES AND MEDICATED
PADS FOR THE CURE OF BODILY DISEASES." A communication from abroad by
Henry Elbridge Hunter, of Hinsdale, in the County of Cheshire, State of New
|Hampshire, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to furnish combined galvanic batteries and
medicated pads for the cure of bodily discases. The Invention consists in the
combination of a galvanic battery formed of plates of zinc, felt, and copper, and a
medicated pad, so that a circuit of galvanic electricity may be incited by moisture
absorbed from the patient's body, while at the same time the patient receives benefit
from the medicaments contained in the pad; also in the combination of a spiral
conduction wire with two batteries and pads, so that the current of electricity will
pass through both batteries and pads and the patient's body in the same circuit;
and also in the combination of strips of webbing with two batteries and pads and
a spiral conduction wire, so that the batteries, and pads, and couduction wire can
be connected with and secured to the patient's body, as will be hereinafter fully
described.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement;
Figure 2 is a rear elevation; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken through the
line x, x, Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side elevation of a pair of batteries and pads
extended; Figure 5 is a plan view of the same in position for use..
To the centre
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. A is a ring plate of
zinc, upon the rear side of which is placed a circular plate B of felt.
of the front side of the felt plate B is secured a circular plate C of copper. Tho
copper plate C is made smaller than the cavity of the zinc plate A, so as to leave
an open space between the zinc A and copper C, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4.
Another set of plates A, C, may be placed at the rear side of the felt B if desired.
Upon the rear side of the felt plate B is placed a layer D of suitable medicated
absorbent material, which is covered with a plate E of felt or other suitable
material, which felt plate E may be covered with a disc F of silk. The pad D, E,
is secured in place by a narrow ring plate G of zinc, and the whole is secured
together by turning the outer edge of the zinc plate A down over the edge of the
zinc plate G, as shown in Figure 3, so that the patient may receive benefit from
the medicaments contained in the pad D, E. With this construction when the
device is in uso the moisture of the patient's body moistens the zinc plate A, the
felt plate B, and the copper plate C, and excites a galvanic action, the current of
electricity passing between the zinc A, copper C, moistened felt B, and the patient's
body, thus making a circuit. The patient thus receives benefit from the current of
electricity and from the medicaments contained in the pad. The combined batteries
and medicated pads may be worn singly, or they may be worn in pairs to increase
the power and efficiency. In this case upon the side of the rim of each battery and
pad is formed a point or pin H, Figuro 5, which points are connected with tho
batteries. With the points H are also connected the ends of a spiral conducting
wire 1, so that the circuit may pass through the one battery, through the con-
ducting wire I, to and through the other battery, and thence through the patient's
body to the first battery, completing the circuit, taking the medicaments of the
pads in its course, and thus giving the patient the benefit of the therapeutic
properties of the medicaments at the same time that he receives the benefit of the
electricity. For convenience in connecting the batteries by the conduction wire I

page_text: the ring plate of the one battery may be made of zinc and the central plate of
copper, and in the other battery the ring plate may be made of copper and the
central plate of zinc, as shown in Figure 4. To the opposite sides of the rims of
the two batteries and pads are attached loops J to receive the ends of elastic
webbing K. One of the strips of webbing K is provided with loops or keepers L
to receive the spiral wire I and support it in place, at the same time that the said
webbing K. keeps the wire I out of contact with the patient's body. The webbings K
are provided with slides M, buckles, or other fastenings. so that the webbings can
be extended and contracted as the size of the patient's body, or the part of his body
under treatment may require. The webbing K upon the side opposite the spiral
wire I is supplied at one end with a hook N or other fastening, so that it can be
readily attached to and detached from the loop J for convenience in putting the
batteries and pads on and taking them off.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
1st. The ring zinc plate A, the felt plate B, and the copper plate C, the latter
being smaller than the cavity of plate A, in combination with the absorbent layer D
and felt plate E, as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The combination with the two batteries and pads A, B, C, D, E, of a spiral
conduction wire I, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the current
of electricity is made to pass through the two batteries and pads and the patient's
body in the same circuit, as set forth.
3rd. The combination with the two batteries and pads A, B, C, D, E, and the
spiral conduction wire I of the strips of webbing K, substantially as herein shown
and described, whereby the batteries, and pads, and the spiral conduction wire are
connected with and secured to the patient's body, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.