MEDICAL ELECTRICITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2211, 8 June 1908, Page 2

MEDICAL ELECTRICITY.

ITS GREAT ADVANTAGES. During the last twenty years electricity has been c died into requisition as a medicine for curing various diseases of the nervous and muscular system, and when rightly applied the therapeutic results have been more than gratifying. Recently Dr. Gerard Smith imported a largo 24-cell chromic acid battery for use in medical therapeutics, and this machine is capable of giving either a galvanic or a' Faradaic current. In showing fho battery to a “Times” reporter on Saturday, Dr. Smith explained that electricity had now come to be regarded by qualified medical practitioners 'as an important curative agent. “From this battery,” lie continued, “I can get every possible variety of current, the primary interrupted, or reversal, and tlieir use is just as varied. One pole will have a sedative action, and will allay pain dn 6iich cases as ueuraliga, sciatica, or spasm, while the negative pole would act as a stimulant or counter-irritant. It can therefore lie understood that an electric battery in unskilled bands could cause a great deal of injury. Then again, galvanism and faradaism, when applied together, will often product an effect which they won’t produce singly, arid under the experienced cj’9 that is most important; for it is only the. man with experience that can watch the change in muscle or nerve action. Then electricity can bo used_for the purpose of diagnosis in diseases' of the 6pinal cord, paralysis. diseases of the muscles and glands, and for the absorption of drugs, and patients so suffering can often derive great benefit from properly applied electric massage,” .