It purposes to teach (to use the words of the preface) ‘the busy
practitioner not only when to use electricity, but in explicit and full
detail how;’ and in ‘moderate bulk to contain only what it is essential
to master.’ Dr. Tibbits’ object has been to give the results of the
best work, and to this end he has availed himself freely of the large
experience of the Electrical Room of the National Hospital for the
Paralysed and Epileptic.
“The work is what it professes to be, and is a handbook in the best
sense of the work. The book, indeed, answers thoroughly to the author’s
description: that he has ‘throughout endeavoured to keep constantly in
view the practitioner rather than the theorist,’ especially in points
of detail which are of importance in order to secure the successful
application of electricity, and to insure (a not insignificant matter
in this respect) the comfort of the patient.”--_The Lancet._
“There is not a word of exaggeration, or of fanciful hypothesis in the
book, and, above all, there is not the least suggestion that there
is after all a mystery behind, and that the reader would do well to
come to an expert for advice. On the contrary, everything is made so
clear that any practitioner, whether he previously knew anything of
electricity or not, may from this book at once begin the practical
use of it, and if there are any lingering doubts in the minds of some
ultra-conservative persons as to the practical value of electrical
treatment, this book should dispel them.... the busiest practitioner
can, without difficulty, learn how to effect a large amount of
good which he was previously quite unable even to attempt.”--_The
Practitioner._
“As Medical Superintendent of the National Hospital for the Paralysed
and Epileptic, as well as through private practice. Dr. Tibbits has
had ample opportunities of studying the application of electricity to
medicine, and in the volume under notice, which aims principally at
giving full and explicit details within convenient limits, _how to
use electricity_, we are bound to say this object is fairly carried
out.”--_The Dublin Journal of Medical Science._
“The exact value of electricity as a therapeutic agent is imperfectly
understood. That it is of great value in some cases as a means of
improving nutrition, relieving pain, and exercising disused muscles,
is undoubted, but still its exact value in all cases remains to be
settled, and in Dr. Tibbits’ book we find a guide which will, at all
events, help us to a solution of some of our difficulties.--_The
Medical Times and Gazette._
“Dr. Tibbits, who is known as an authority upon electricity, has
written a concise book upon this subject for the general practitioner,
embracing only the valuable part of the existing knowledge. The work is
written in a condensed style, and is well adapted for the practitioner
who does not make a specialty of electrical treatment.”--_The New York
Medical Journal._
LONDON: J. & A. CHURCHILL.
* * * * *
_DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE_ HAMMOND Wall Cabinet
MANUFACTURED BY _THE WAITE & BARTLETT MAN’F’G CO._, 143 East 23d
Street, New York.
TO USE THE GALVANIC CURRENT.
To use the galvanic current place the ends of the conducting cords
in the two binding posts marked =13-13=. Place the socket of current
selector (=20=) on the pin marked O, and turn the lever of selector
on pin No. =1=, or on any number, according to the number of cells
desired; at the same time see that all the switch levers are on their
blank buttons, except the one at left of current selector, which should
be on its left-hand button marked Constant.
If it is desired to use cells from any other part of the series, place
the socket on the pin from which it is desired to begin, and having
previously moved the lever ahead of this pin move it along until the
desired number of cells intervenes between socket and lever. The number
of cells in circuit when the socket is not on O, but on a pin with a
number, is the difference between the number of the pin and number on
which the lever rests, for instance, if socket is on pin =12= and lever
on pin =22=, then =10= cells are being used, the starting point being
=12= cells from any part of the series may thus be brought into the
circuit. If socket be placed on pin =39= and lever on pin =40= then the
=40=th cell would be in use only.
_Always keep the socket on the lowest number and the lever on the
highest, as putting socket ahead of lever would reverse the current._
Should, through any accident, a cell become disconnected or run down,
or should it get out of order from any cause, it is only necessary to
short-circuit the cells and throw the milli-ampere-meter in circuit
by adjusting the switch =10=. By placing the socket on the pin marked
O and selecting cell after cell with the lever, the defective cell is
easily found by the milli-ampere-meter failing to deflect when the pin
corresponding to the defect is reached.
TO OBTAIN THE INTERRUPTED GALVANIC CURRENT.
To obtain the interrupted galvanic current, move the switch at left
of selector on to button marked interrupted, then turn the switch
just above the vibrator on to its button marked =11=, by adjusting
the screws at =14= and =15= the proper degree of vibration will be
obtained. It is necessary that the point of the screws at =15= should
touch the plate with every vibration as the current passes through at
this point and unless it touches, connections would not be made.
TO MEASURE THE RESISTANCE OF THE PATIENT.
To measure the resistance of the patient turn the lever at the left
of selector on to the button =8= marked milli-ampere-meter and wire
rheostat. Supposing him to have the electrodes in his hands and a
current from =30= cells registers =8= milli-amperes; without changing
any other conditions, throw the upper left-hand lever =10= on button
marked rheostat and milli-ampere-meter only. The patient will now be
thrown out and the needle will fly around as far as it can go.
Begin by throwing in resistance, which is done by manipulating the top
row of levers, until the needle which will have retraced its course
rests directly over the division marked =8= milli-amperes or whatever
may have been the previously recorded amount. The numbers on uncovered
buttons added together will be the resistance of the patient. The known
resistance having taken the place of the patient.
_The upper left-hand lever should at all times except for purposes of
measuring the resistance of a patient, be kept on its blank button, or
the battery will be short circuited and injured._
THE POLE CHANGER.
The pole changing lever above the two posts marked =13-13=, when
pressed between the two right-hand springs makes the right-hand binding
post positive, and when pressed between the two left-hand springs the
left-hand post becomes positive and the right negative.
GRAPHITE RHEOSTAT.
When the left-hand lever is placed on button =9= it throws the graphite
rheostat (=16=) into circuit. To use the rheostat first draw up the
rod (=17=). By slowly pressing the rod down through the graphite it
gradually lessens the resistance thereby increasing the current without
shock to the patient. With this rheostat you can place any number of
cells in the circuit.
THE DE WATTEVILLE SWITCH.
The de Watteville switch is placed directly above the pole changer
is used for obtaining either the galvanic or the faradic current
separately or the two combined. When the double lever rests on figure
=1= and =3= the galvanic alone can be used; can when on =3= and =5= the
faradic can be alone used and when on =2= and =4= the two currents are
combined and used without changing the conducting cords.
THE FARADIC APPARATUS.
The Faradic apparatus of this cabinet combines a fast and slow
interrupter also a single contact key. The style of coil used is the
Du Bois-Raymond. To use =Primary= coil, place the two tips on ends of
conducting cords into the two binding posts in front of the coil, the
others being connected with any desired electrodes. The strength is
increased by drawing the coil to the =Right=, first placing switch at
right end of coil on button marked P.
To use the secondary coil remove the tips of cords from primary posts;
then place the ends of cords in the two binding posts =13-13= and place
switch on right end of coil on button marked =S=. To increase the
strength of secondary, push coil to the =Left= gradually, which is just
=Opposite= to what is done in case of primary current.
THE USE OF THE INTERRUPTER.
To use the rapid interrupter which works against the end of core it
is only necessary to adjust the screw F, and any degree of vibration
may be obtained. The same may be said of the slow interrupter which is
adjusted by the screw D, but it is further controlled by the sliding
weight at E. By sliding the weight up and down the interruptions are
varied from very slow to rapid.
The higher the weight the slower the interruptions and vice-versa. At
button G, is the “single contact” used in obtaining single impulse
contractions.
The different interrupters may be placed in circuit by a switch on
the base of the Cabinet which works over a series of buttons marked
S, F and C which put in operation the slow, fast or single contact
interrupters, as desired.
DIRECTIONS FOR CONNECTING CELLS.
Fill the cells according to the directions on the cell label, and
connect the wires of the cable to the cells, as shown in the cut; No.
O being attached to zinc of the first cell, No. =1= to the carbon of
the first cell, while at the same time the carbon of the first cell
connected to the zinc of the second cell by strip from the carbon of
cell, No. =2= wire of the cable to the carbon of the second cell, and
so on, the last wire being connected to the carbon of the last cell, as
shown by No. =40=. The two wires marked faradic should be connected as
shown, the four cells being placed in two rows of two each, the zincs
and carbons being connected together as shown in diagram.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes:
Footnotes have been moved to the end of each chapter and relabeled
consecutively through the document.
Illustrations have been moved to paragraph breaks near where they are
mentioned.
References in the text to illustrations have been standardized.
Sidenotes originally appearing near the start of a paragraph are
positioned at the beginning of the paragraph; sidenotes in the middle
of long paragraphs are positioned near the relevant sentences.
Punctuation has been made consistent.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in
the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors have
been corrected.