Improvements in electric drinking vessels / [Frederick William Flint].

  • Flint, Frederick William.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Improvements in electric drinking vessels / [Frederick William Flint]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    N° 12,437 A.D. 1880 Date of Application, 6th Aug., 188y—Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. Improvements in Electric Drinking- Vessels. I, Frederick William Flint a citizen of the United States residing at Mount Airy in the county of Habersham and State of Georgia, one of the United States, gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by 5 the following statement:— This invention relates to certain improved means of applying electricity in con¬ nection with suitable liquids, liquid medicines or beverages, therapeutically, to the human or animal system ; and it has for its objects to provide a device whereby the liquid or beverage, while being imbibed, will constitute part of an electrode which will in conduct the electric current to the mucous membrane of the mouth, throat and stomach, and distribute it to and diffuse it throughout the surfaces with which the said liquid comes in contact, during deglutition as the current passes through the body of the drinker as more fully hereinafter specified. My invention consists, essentially, in a vessel constructed partly or wholly of non 15 conducting material, the said vessel being adapted to contain a liquid or beverage and provided with a suitable connection whereby its contents may be connected with one pole of a battery or other electric generator, in such manner that the vessel, in connection with the fluid therein, will form an electrode, whereby the electric current will be conducted to, and distributed throughout the surface with which the fluid 20 comes in contact in the act of swallowing the same. in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification : Figure 1 represents a sectional view of my improved device. Figure 2 represents a perspective view thereof, showing, the device in connection with an induction coil and battery whereby the current is applied. 25 The letter A indicates a vessel of any suitable description, in the present instance being represented as an ordinary drink-glass, having a disk of metal or other conducting material B located at its bottom. The said disk is provided with a central shank C, which extends through a central aperture in the bottom of the glass, the lower end of said shank being screw threaded and provided with a washer D and a 3C nut E, by means of which the plate is secured and a water tight joint is effected. The nut also serves as a binding device whereby the conductor from one pole of a battery may be electrically connected to the disk. The other pole of the battery may be connected by any suitable conductor, with an electrode which may be applied to any portion of the body to complete the circuit 35 through the body as the liquid or beverage is swallowed. It is evident that my improved device may be variously modified without departing from my invention—For instance—the vessel may be constructed of conducting material, partly coated or covered with insulating material, so as to compel the current to pass through the liquid without short-circuiting ; and instead of the handle, the 40 vessel may be provided with a mettallic-holder, such as is used with the drinking vessels employed in dispensing soda-water, the holder in that case forming one of the electrodes. Or the body of the vessel may be constructed of non conducting material, and the bottom of the conducting material, the latter being provided with a suitable connection for one terminal of the battery. 45 My improved device is adapted to the treatment of various diseases in which electricity is found to be beneficial, especially nervous diseases and diseases of the throat, as the liquid in the latter case is applied directly to the parts affected, conducting the current thereto and diffusing it throughout such parts. Moreover, by the application of the current to various liquids and beverages, the character of the same is modified, and in the case of beverages the flaver of the same [Price 6d.] *