Method of and means for applying electricity to the human body / [Frank Dowling].

  • Dowling, F. (Frank)
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Method of and means for applying electricity to the human body / [Frank Dowling]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Dowling's Methods of and Means for Applying Electricity to the Human Body. In electric belts, corsets or appliances constructed according to my invention, as hereinbefore described the discs are further excited by the rubbing contact between them and the under-garments or the skin of the wearer as the case may be. Dated this 23rd day of May 1893. FBANK DOWLING. 5 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. Methods of and Means for Applying Electricity to the Human Body. I, Frank Dowling, of Marie Villa, 23 Mayola Boad, Lower Clapton in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 10 and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: — The object of my invention is to provide improved electric appliances to be attached to, or form part of, belts, corsets or undergarments, or which may be worn independently of either by persons of either sex and by means of which electricity 15 may be obtained for curative or other purposes in a simple manner. In carrying out my invention, I avail myself of static-electricity and use a non¬ conducting material upon which it is well known that electricity may be obtained by friction, and I arrange that the necessary friction may be obtained by the movement of the body of the wearer. For the purposes of my invention, I use 20 discs, rods or sheets of a convenient size and shape composed of ebonite, amber, sealing-wax, glass, ivory, shellac, resin, caoutchouc or gutta percha ; or any good “electric” compound such as a mixture of shellac, gum-mastic, Venice-turpentine & marine glue. In practice, I prefer to use ebonite discs rounded on the edges except in some 25 cases where a flexable material is more suitable. My appliance for wearing next to woolen or silk under-garments may consist simply of a disc or sheet of ebonite or other non-conducting material mentioned above, provided with elastic bands or cords capable of being attached to the under¬ garments or suspended from the body of the wearer in such a manner that friction 30 may be set up between the non-conducting disc or sheet and the under-garment, in consequence of the various movements of the body of the wearer. In order to make my appliance self-contained, however, I prefer to enclose an ebonite disc inside a case of leather or other suitable material somewhat larger than the disc, and provided wbth one or more openings on one side. In this case I 35 insert a flannel or silk pad so that the disc will be tree to move about in the case and rub upon the pad, and to facilitate this movement the disc may be suspended in the case by elastic cords. This appliance is provided with elastic bands for attachment in the same manner as hereinbefore described and one or more of these may be worn in any desired position. 40 In forming an electric belt according to my invention, I provide a number of these discs, which I couple together or attach separately to a suitable band preferably of an elastic material and I fix a number of flannel or silk rubbers under these discs in such a manner that friction may be caused between the rubbers and discs when the band or belt is expanded. 45 In the same manner, I form an appliance specially suitable for ladies by the attachment of a number of discs to a corset instead of a belt, but 1 may prefer to use a flexable material, such as hereinbefore described, in place of ebonite discs. The discs or sheets, as hereinbefore described, may be perforated with a number of holes & sometimes I fix a metal plate on one side when it is not used as a 50 rubbing surface. It will be readily understood that rods, rollers or rectangular sheets of any of the above materials may be substituted in place of discs for the purposes of my invention. In some cases I provide sheets of tinfoil and parchment