Perfect equipment is an important part of the battle in the cure of nervous affections.
ELECTRICITY IN NERVOUS AFFECTIONS.
Electrical applications, to be beneficial, require, on the part of the attendant, a technical knowledge of the highest character with costly apparatus and special appliances. There can be little doubt that electricity is convertible into nerve force.
In treating cases in the Invalids' Hotel, a large variety of batteries, dynamos and other electrical appliances are brought into use. These consist of cell batteries, such as is illustrated by Fig. 4, dynamos, operated by power, Franklin, or static electrical machines illustrated in Fig. 5, and other electrical apparatus, the choice of the particular machine or battery being determined by the nature of the case.
CARE AND SKILL REQUIRED.
Electricity, like other powerful agencies, in order to prove remedial must be used of proper strength and in proper quantity. The potential, or strength, as well as the volume, or amount, of current has to be carefully measured for that purpose. To accomplish this, we employ an instrument called a galvanometer, or amperemeter, illustrated in Fig. 6, which indicates the exact amount of current being applied. For the want of such instruments to measure the current, physicians often fail to get beneficial results, as they are not able to administer either the proper quantity or quality of current. Ofttimes, for like reasons, their hap-hazard way of employing this powerful agent does positive injury to the patient.
Of course, in treating cases at a distance, we cannot avail ourselves of all the great variety of apparatus brought into use at our Invalids Hotel, yet we have some forms of machines well adapted for home use, and so simple that, by sending plain printed directions with the machines, our patients are able to use them effectively without the aid of the physician. Especially is this true in the milder forms of nervous disease, and when great exactness and nicety of application is not so important. We show in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, two forms of such batteries which are often furnished our patients for use at their homes. Many times, after cases are under treatment here for a while, we are able to educate them in the use of the battery so that by taking one of these home with them they can continue the treatment with good results after leaving the Institution.