The Electric Bath

ill become necessary to describe special modes of administration when speaking of the electro-balneological trea

to use either the galvanic current, the faradic, or both successively. As modifications of the application of

ell with the St?hrer cell, I have found the ratio to be about as 1 to 2?, i.e., as intense a current can be derived from twenty-four St?hrer as from sixty Hill cells-and this is rather below than above the mark. Were all batteries alike in this respect, however, still no particular number of cells could be given as furnishing a current of suitable average intensity for the galvanic bath, because of the excessively great variations in the degree of electro-sensibility of different persons. This is so marked that I have seen

I am in the habit of ordering the administration of a "mild," a "medium" or a "strong" current, as may be required in the respective cases; and in every instance it is the electro-s

ng post which represents the electrode at the head of the tub must be connected to the positive pole of the batter

. The average is about twenty minutes, though the ti

f almost the ENTIRE muscular system that accompanies the reversal of a current of sufficient intensity in the bath, affords a striking illustration of the general effec

ectrization; on the contrary, it is just as much "general" as the ordinary electric bath. Whereas in local applications the current runs from one point of the body to another, in this case, supposing the spot where the surface board is applied to be the ce

ce, little or no current is felt. Let the surface board be now gradually approximated to the abdomen, and the current will be felt more and more sensibly, until, when about an inch away from the skin, or touching this, its influence becomes so strong as to cause more or less energetic contractions of the abdominal musc

bjective part above the surface of the water, and then applying the surface board. In this way the entire strength of the current i

oubts in this respect, I made very careful experiments, both with and without the aid of the galvanometer (Bradley's Tangent), to satisfy these. Without wearying the reader with details, I will state that the result of my experiments leaves no room for doubt that water at the temperatures stated-and still more so at 98?°-is superior to the human body as a conductor of electricity. I do not mean to be understood that water is a better conductor than every constituent of the human body

dicines that no doubt may be made to answer these various purposes, I have had personal experience with but few, and of these I will mention the leading ones only. A requisite of all chemicals to be employed is their ready solubility in water. Of substances intended for absorption[3] I have used but three, viz: iron, iodine, and extract of malt. The first of these I have employed in an?mic and enfeebled conditions generally, but especially in chlorosis and chlorotic hysteria, with marked success. It has the advantage, when administered in this manner, not only of sparing the alimentary canal the frequently injur

ction. I have not in a single instance found a bath charged with iodine, either in the form of the tincture or of iodide

her alone or in conjunction with iron, in cases of

tances is aimed at, the galv

y be guided by the same principles that govern ordinary balneology. Thus to obtain counter-irritant effects

e found here that in practice we have to deal chiefly with two substances, viz: mercury and lead. That the elimination of these bodies by means of the galvanic bat

tance may aid in the elimination of the metal, I am compelled to state, after its trial in several cases, that I have obtained equally good results from the simple galvanic bath. In the light

respecting its usefulness, as I have never tried it. Indeed, the results with iodide of potassium added to the bath have been so satisfactory, that I have had no occasion to try any other chemical, although almost any other of the prepar

ny other cases of chronic metallic intox

ons, etc.) can be materially furthered by adding t

ases-articular deposits. When the acute, and to a great extent the subacute symptoms have subsided-and in chronic cases especially, and the disease has left effusions in various joints, iodine, which when employed in this manner, appears to

nce which the addition to the bath of certain substances has on the conductivity of the water, resp. thus: the action of the current on the patient. I have found that when I caused salt or bicarbonate of soda to be added to

tno

ctricity." New York. 1875. Wm

ticle by Munk, entitled "Ueber die galvanische Einführung differenter Flüssigkeiten in den un