A treatise of practical instructions in the medical and surgical uses of electricity : including instructions in electrical diagnosing and a new method of general and local electrization. Also clinical experiences of fifteen years.

  • Morrill, S. E.
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise of practical instructions in the medical and surgical uses of electricity : including instructions in electrical diagnosing and a new method of general and local electrization. Also clinical experiences of fifteen years. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    trodes for a moment in the two hands; the one in which the current is strongest felt is the negative pole. If the apparatus refuses to go or if it stops at any time while in use, the cause may be looked for— 1. In the screw of the rheotome or current breaker.—This may not be properly adjusted. The point may be too far from the spring, or too closely pressed upon it. This want of proper adjustment of the screw is the most frequent cause of a stopping of the machine, and of the refusal of the spring to vibrate. The spring may sometimes be corrod- ed at the point where the screw touches it. 2. In the connection of the wires.—The wires that unite the zincs and platinum may not be properly screwed at their point of connection. 3. In the battery itself.—The battery—that is, the zinc and platina, with the solution in the glass jar—may get out of order in two ways. First, the solution may lose its strength. This difficulty may be remedied either by pouring in some sulphuric acid or making an entirely new solution, or by simply adding more water. Secondly, the zincs may become so corroded and inerustedas to become incapable of generat- ing a current. When we have reason to suspect that such is the case we should clean them with an old tooth-brush or cloth, or amalgamate them by first dipping them in the acid solution and then pouring over them a small quantity of mercury. The platinum and the zincs will in time, by hard and long usage, wear out, and will need to be replenished. 4. In the helix.—It is very rarely indeed that the helix of this apparatus ever becomes so injured as to become incapa- ble of service. If, after we have properly adjusted the screw and spring, made sure of the connections of the wires, re- plenished the solution and cleaned the zincs, the apparatus persistently refuses to go, we have reason to suspect th a something may be wrong with the wires that compose the helix. If such be the case the evil can be remedied only by the inventor himself, or, at least, by some one practically familiar with the construction of helices. But we should try very patiently and .perseveringly before we accept the conclusion that the helix is thus out of order, for it is an accident of extremely rare occurrence. When no current is felt at the electrodes, although the ap- paratus acts properly, we know that the connection is bro- ken somewhere in the insulated conducting wires. Some