The Tallerman-Sheffield patent localized hot-air bath : being a new invention for the treatment of rheumatism, gout, rheumatic arthritis, stiff and painful joints, sprains, etc., etc., by the local application of super-heated dry air : with notes of cases treated at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, North-West London Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital, The Royal Portsmouth Hospital, and elsewhere.

Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Tallerman-Sheffield patent localized hot-air bath : being a new invention for the treatment of rheumatism, gout, rheumatic arthritis, stiff and painful joints, sprains, etc., etc., by the local application of super-heated dry air : with notes of cases treated at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, North-West London Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital, The Royal Portsmouth Hospital, and elsewhere. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    to be treated is passed into the open end of the cylinder through an airtight curtain, which is afterwards secured in such a way as to close the chamber completely. The distal end of the cylinder is furnished with an ingenious arrangement, which plays an important part in keeping the air dry. The heat is supplied externally by gas-jets. Oil could be used where gas is not laid on, but the latter is more convenient. The stand on which the cylinder rests is supplied with rows of gas-burners, which can be con- nected with any ordinary gas supply by a piece of rubber- tubing, and turned up or down according to the degree of heat required. The bath can therefore be used in any private house, under the care of the patient’s own medical attendant. The temperature is indicated by a thermometer, the bulb of which is inside the cylinder, at the level of the limb to be treated, while the scale passes outside, and can be read oft at any moment by a glance. The cylinder is also furnished with a double stopcock, which can be connected with an air-pump, and used either for drawing off heated vapour or admitting medicated vapour. Method of Using the Bath. The limb to be treated rests at the bottom of the cylinder on a metal cradle protected by asbestos, which prevents all danger of scorching the skin by contact with the heated metal. The patient may lie in bed or be seated in an armchair during treatment, whichever is considered most comfortable or suitable to the case. The most con- venient way of using the bath is to heat the cylinder up to 150 Fahrenheit before inserting the limb, and then gradually raise the temperature, the process of drying the air being frequently repeated, which enables the patient to bear exposure to 250°, 300°, and even higher, without the least discomfort. This striking result is clearly due to the system of ventilation employed, because each time