CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSTRUMENTS OR APPARATUSES, COMMONLY CALLED TRUSSES, WHICH ARE USED FOR COMPRESSING AND SUPPORTING SUCH PARTS. OF THE HUMAN FRAME AS ARE OR MAY BE RUPTURED OR DISPOSED TO PROTRUDE
Year: 1806

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, HENRY
GORE CLOUGH, of Norton Street, in the Parish of Saint Mary-le-bone, and
County of Middlesex, Surgoon, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of March, in
the forty-sixth year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said Henry
Gore Clough, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Henry Gore Clough, my exors,
adñors, and assigns, during the term of fourteen years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, exercise, and vend, within that part of His
said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain and. Ireland called England, His
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSTRUMENTS OR APPARATUSES, COMMONLY CALLED
TRUSSES, WHICH ARE USED FOR COMPRESSING AND SUPPORTING SUCH PARTS. OF THE
HUMAN FRAME AS ARE OR MAY BE RUPTURED OR DISPOSED TO PROTRUDE;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Henry
Gore Clough, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and imme-

page_text: diately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Gore Clough, do heredy declare that my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect and practice, are
described in manner following, that is to say:--
Instead of the usual bandages and fastenings applied to the trusses heretofore
made, I form a metallic spring, which embraces the body of the patient in the
manner of a girdle immediately above the hips, the length of the said spring
being nearly equal to the circumference of the body at that part, and its width
and thickness such as to produce a firm, pleasant, and gentle action, by which
it is retained in its place. One of the ends of the said spring is so fashioned,
that instead of being prolonged in the horizontal direction, it is prolonged down-
wards, so as to apply itself at the bottom of the abdomen on one side against
that part of the groin where ruptures most frequently take place. The said
prolongation downwards is made cither from the right or left hand extremity of
the said spring, accordingly as the pressure is required to be made effectual on
the one or the other side of the abdomen. And I do enlarge or make broad the
said lower extremity of the said spring, so as to admit of a facing of cork, leather,
or other soft material proper to be placed between the metallic face of the spring
and the part which is ruptured or disposed to protrude. And, moreover, in
most of the constructions of my said improvements, I do not attach the said
facing of cork or other material to the spring itself, but (in order to render
the action more general and gradual) I do attach to the said descending part
of the spring another arm or elastic branch, which is thinner than the spring
itself, but of the same figure, and bended inwards somewhat more than the said
descending part of the first-mentioned spring, and between the said elastic
additional part or arm and the said descending part of the first-mentioned
spring, I place an intermediate spring or springs of any suitable figure, which
press against the said additional part or arm, and cause the same to act with a
regulated and suitable pressure against the ruptured part or part requiring to
be supported. Lastly, I do cover the whole of the truss or apparatus with
leather or other soft material, as is usually done, to render the wear more
pleasant and easy.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Gore Clough, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred. and six.
HENRY GORE CLOUGH. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1806, the aforesaid Henry Gore Clough came before our said
Lord the King, in His Chancery and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.