US175974A - Improvement in electro-medical plasters - Google Patents

Description

R. P. HALL.

ELECTED-MEDICAL PLASTER.

No.175,97% Patented April 11, 1876.

Jig/.1.

M M ma MPETERS, PHOTO-LITMOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C

NITED STATES @PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN P. HALL, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY.-

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRO-MEDICAL PLASTERS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 175,974, dated April 11, 1876; application filed March 9, 1876.

formerly of Nashua, New Hampshire, but now I of Vineland, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Galvanic Electric Plasiers, of which the following is a specification Electric currents have long been used by the medical profession in the treatment of many diseases. They have been applied in many ways. Currents from batteries, induction apparatus, or frictional apparatus have been used, by means of wires and electrodes placed on designated parts of the body. In other cases, they have been applied through the medium of baths, and in still other, by voltaic belts, to be worn upon the body, the current beingthere both generated and ap' plied. Their use has not been as extensive as it might have been, for the reason that while they were used the ordinary exterior local applications of medicine could not be used, as was often desirable.

In electric baths, this has been remedied to some extent by inclosing the bath, and supplying medicated air or vapor to the patient while under treatment. This involves a cumbersome and expensive apparatus, and can be used only for limited periods, and at intervals.

Now, the object of my invention is to supply an article which shall furnish electrical or galvanic and medical efl'ects simultaneously, and which may be applied and worn continuously, or so long as needed.

To this end, my invention consists of a plaster, composed for local application, and a I galvanic or voltaic pile for generating currents of electricity, the whole being prepared and put upon the market as an article of sale, ready for use, as more fully described in the following.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face view, and Fig. 2 a sectional view, of a plaster embodying my invention; and Figs. 3, 4t, and 5 are modifications.

The same letters of reference refer to the same parts in all the drawings.

E is any suitable base or fabric, upon which is spread any suitable medical compound, A. To the com position ot'this compound I make no claim, as it may be varied to suit various conditions or diagnoses. Upon this is also placed the two clectrically-dissimilar galvanic elements P N. These are of such nature that they are readily acted on by human moisture to produce a current, as in ordinary voltaic armor. A wire, D, passes from one to the other at the back of the plaster, as shown. Hence, when applied, a current would be generated, circulating in a circuit, P D N, the body of the patient to P again. They may be made of any size, and the elements arranged so that the current shall flow only over a small portion of the body, or so that P and N shall be upon opposite sides of the body, or of a limb, causing the current to pass through the body or limb. As shown in Fig. l, the .pile is a simple one.

It is evident that this may be varied.

A compound pile, as in Fig. 3, may be used, giving a greater intensity of current, the cur rent over or through the body being from the final N to the first P, or, for the same purpose, there may be two piles provided, as in Fig. 4, the two being connected by a wire, D, as in Figs. 1 and 2; or two plasters may. be arranged, each having one element or set of elements, to form one compound plaster, as in Fig. 5. i

Such a form may be useful when it is desired to pass the current over or through a large portion of the body, and yet not apply the plaster to all the intermediate surface. In this latter case, also, if it is desired to apply the local medical remedies to one spot only, one of the plasters A may be dispensed with, the element P or N thereof only being used.

It is evident that these and many other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The operation of my invention is evident, and its efficiency depends, in part, upon a fact long known, but not hitherto availed of, viz: that electric currents hasten and help the introduction of remedial agents into the system. This fact gives electric vapor-baths their usefulness; but theirapplication is limited to .a. In testimony that I claim the foregoing I few diseases, while this invention admits of have hereunto set my hand in the presence of universal application. the subscribing witnesses-v What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- REUBEN P. HALL.

As a new article of manufacture, a combined Witnesses galvanic, voltaie, .or electric and therapeutic FRANKLIN ROWELL,

plaster, substantially as set forth. W. T, VIRGIL.

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