The Franklinic interrupted current, or, My new system of therapeutic administration of static electricity / by William James Morton.

  • Morton, William J. (William James), 1846-1920.
Date:
1891
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Franklinic interrupted current, or, My new system of therapeutic administration of static electricity / by William James Morton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    As I have pointed out in a recent article 1 the spai not to be regarded by itself and as a mere mechanical and superficial phenomenon like the blow of a light ham mer, but as the air part of the closed circuit, whose re- maining parts within the body (and in the connections and machine) evoke the well-known nerve and muscle reactions. But effective as this spark direct to the skin is, it has, as might be expected, its quota of disadvan- tages, among which may be mentioned, the relatively small number of spark currents provokable in a given time by a ball electrode, the more or less painful feeling in the skin, the possible humidity of the air, or of the patient’s per- son, the difficulty of localizing it about the face and neck, gs. 5 and 7 represent the secondary current, termed by me the “ static induced current,” elsewhere referred to. On the whole I give my preference in most forms of treat- ment to the connections represented by this figure. It will be readily seen that any kind of electrode may be readily attached to the terminals. Maintaining as I do in practice a continuous action of the machine by water-power, I often find it desira- ble while making a change in the position of an electrode, Fig. 4, to shut off the electricity without stopping the machine. This I do by simply short circuiting the prime conductors. This procedure obviates the slight spark which inevitably ensues on approaching the electrode to and finally, and most important, the comparative difficulty of using it at all for throat, uterine, and other internal treatment. For these reasons I supplement the useful- ness of the Holtz machine and its usual spark adminis- tration, and have devised and formulated the present system. Its fundamental principle, as has been pointed out, is that of interrupting the circuit at a point remote from the patient, while still including him in the cir- cuit. And although the static induced current was published, a most useful and important element in the system, and one embodying in itself, in a simple and practical manner, all the principles involved, viz., the statical universal electrode, has only appeared in the catalogues of instrument makers, while concerning the in- ternal use of the franklinic current nothing has been said. It seems therefore advisable now to collect the scattered data and present the system as a whole and as constitut ing a new system, particularly since no attempt has before been made to formulate the details of mechanical arrange- ment under one general statement, nor to differentiate the nature of the current and its physiological effects, be- yond the general and, in the opinion of the writer, most superficial comparison of the current to the faradic. The illustrations in this article will serve to indicate the principal connections referred to. A current may also be obtained by attaching one cord to one prime conductor (with condensers) and the other to the outer coating of the condenser on the other prime conductor, but it is harsh and lacks the good qualities represented by connections as in Fig. 5. Fig. 1 is shown merely for illustration. There being no circuit-breaker there is no perceptible current. Figs. 2 and 3, though representing perfectly practical connec- ions, especially with small machines, are best replaced in practice and with large machines by Fig. 4. Fig. 4 represents a working method hitherto unde- scribed, except by cuts in the manufacturers’ catalogues (as early as 1881), embodying, in the simplest and most practical manner, the fundamental principle of my'new system, viz., the interruption of the circuit at a point re- moved from the patient. „ 1 New York Medical Record, May 31, 1890. its position, unless this is done while the machine is at rest. Though here not in line with the exact subject-matter of this paper, I furnish an illustration of an electrode (Fig. 6) made in a variety of sizes and forms, by aid of which sparks may be administered to the cavities of the body. Though long in use by myself a description of it has not before been generally published. Its applications are manifest, and its modifications manifold, according as it Fig. 9 represents this electrode as constructed in 1880; arranged for a mois- tened sponge or other terminal. The two adjustable brass balls constitute the circuit-breaker, the spark passes between the two and a corresponding current produces characteristic electric reactions at the point of application of the sponge to the body. is desired to apply a spark along the urethral canal, to the uterus, throat, or other internal cavity. It may also be used to exactly localize the sparks upon the exterior of the body. Static Induced Current.—For this current the elec- trodes and conducting cords must be especially con- structed ; the metal within the sponge, if a plate, should be rolled back on itself at its edges so as to present a rounded peripheral contour, or, better still, it should be a ball of about one inch in diameter; the handle of the electrodes should be long, and made of ebonite ; the con- ducting cord should consist of a thick strand of fine wire well insulated by gutta percha. These precautions are necessary, owing to the great “ tension ” of the current and its consequent disposition to break down insulating barriers which in the case of ordinary currents would suf- fice to confine them to their proper conductors. Use small Leyden jars. To use the current (see Figs. 5 and 7), bring the discharg