Improvements in galvanic medical appliances.

  • Nye, Charles George William
Date:
1922
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Improvements in galvanic medical appliances. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Opetibaar gem&akt dnr, 3 - AUB. 1922 Nr, BUWtAU VOOR ^NOUSTMELEN EiGEMjQM £ PATENT SPECIFICATION Application Date■' Oct. 6,1921. No. 15,365j21. Complete Accepted: July 13, 1922. 182,050 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements in Galvanic Medical Appliances. We, Charles George William Nye, of 28, Hartfield Crescent, Wimbledon, S.W. 19, Garnet Granville Goodman, 30, Blaekliorse I jane, Walthamstow, E. 5 IT, and Thomas Desmond Draper, 45, Mornington Crescent, N.W. 1, all British subjects, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what man¬ ner the same is to be performed, to be 10 particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—- This invention relates to galvanic medical appliances of the kind which comprise a copper plate and a zinc plate 15 with an interposed layer of a chemical adapted to set up a galvanic action when moistened. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved appliance of the 20 above character by means of which a galvanic action of substantial value is set. up when the appliance becomes heated or moistened by contact with the foot or other part of the wearer’s body. 25 The invention consists broadly of a galvanic medical appliance comprising a copper plate and a zinc plate threaded together and having an interposed layer of an absorbent sheet material or its 30 equivalent which has previously been soaked in a solution comprising sodium chloride and ammonium chloride with or without the addition of boric acid, and water, and subsequently dried to remove 35 the water. In order that the invention may be clearly understood an example of the same will now be described by aid of the accompanying drawings in which:— 40 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the metal plates • and interposed absorbent layer previous to being united. {Price 1/-] Fig. 2 is a plan of the same when laced together. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3j—3 of 45 Fig. 2 drawn to a larger scale. Deferring to the drawings a represents a plate of copper and b a plate of zinc which are adapted to be superimposed and form backings for an interposed 50 sheet of flannel c or other absorbent sheet material or its equivalent which has been previously soaked in a solution hereafter to be described. The plates a and b are formed with a series of coincident aper- 55 tares d through which is threaded a lac¬ ing e which serves to bind the whole together. I he absorbent sheet c is soaked, in a solution comprising sodium chloride and 60 ammonium chloride with or without but preferably with boric acid. A suitable solution may be prepared by the admixture of four ounces each of the above ingredients with a quart of water. 65 After the absorbent has been sufficiently soaked in the solution the same is dried to remove the water and leave the solid ingredients in suspension. From tests made with a galvanometer 70 we have found that it is possible to obtain a current strength of 1.5 volts. Hitherto it has been proposed to pro¬ vide a galvanic device comprising cop¬ per' and zinc plates having interposed 75 between them a salt preparation such as ammonium chloride mixed with a plastic material. Further it has been proposed to interpose between such plates felt, fabric or blotting paper soaked in a slight 80 acid or saline solution, which are caused to generate currents by proximity to the wearer’s body e.g. as a sock.