MEDICAL  AIDS

Used for the relief of nervous and other problems

A collection of electrical devices used by the Victorian era of doctors
to obtain relief by stimulating the nervous system with electrical pulses

About this website

MEDICAL  EQUIPMENT

The use of  electrical devices by Doctors to stimulate the nerves of people suffering from various ailments is well known.

The simplest modern machine is the “TENS MACHINE” and these devices are much more sophisticated than the original “witch doctor” devices , and will give varied programmes of shock treatment to suit the patient’s need, and they are not treated with such suspicion as the old devices, and they provide successful treatment for many people.( as did the old machines in their crude manner.) Most of the devices were powered by a small battery and looked innocent enough.

In my younger days we used to make similar devices which consisted of  a battery , a voltage step - up transformer, and a trembler device to excite the transformer. The high voltage end of the transformer was connected by wires to two handles  which our selected  ‘patient’ was instructed to hold.

The idea in our case was not medically based at all, it was merely to inflict what we hoped was unbearable agony to the ‘patient’  for the amusement of all. (The power was limited and no fatalities occurred)
A very plausible story with promises of reduced power and Scouts Honour and other promises had to be made before any of the girls would be ‘patients !!

( good lesson in why not to trust boys I suppose?!)

List  of  boxes collected