Electrotherapy equipment

Made:: 1780-1810 in London

maker:: Thomas Blunt, Edward Nairne and Blunt and Son

This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Electrotherapeutic machine invented by Nairne, 1780-1809, early 19th century; Consists of two leyden jars, two insulated applicators, rod and electroscope. The cylinders of this electrotherapy machine are turned against the leather cushion, creating an electrical charge which is then transmitted to a Leyden jar. This holds the charge, which can then be passed to a flexible conductor used to deliver an electric shock to the patient. Electrotherapy was used for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. This type of equipment was invented by Edward Nairne (1749-1806), an optical and mathematical instrument maker and natural philosopher. Electrotherapy came into popular use in England in the second half of the 1700s.

Details

Category:: Therapeutics

Collection:: Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection

Object Number:: A199299

Materials:: incomplete, box (wood), mahogany (wood), brass (copper, zinc alloy) and glass

Measurements:: overall: 450 mm x 385 mm x 780 mm,

type:: medico-electrical instrument and electrotherapy equipment

credit:: Smith, S.A.

Cite this page

Rights

We encourage the use and reuse of our collection data.

Data in the title, made, maker and details fields are released under Creative Commons Zero . Descriptions and all other text content are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence

Using our data

Download

Download catalogue entry as json

Download manifest IIIF

Our records are constantly being enhanced and improved, but please note that we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information shown on this website.

Parts

Electrotherapy equipment

Electrotherapeutic machine invented by Nairne, 1780-1809, early 19th century.

The cylinders of this electrotherapy machine are turned against the leather cushion, creating an electrical charge which is then transmitted to a Leyden jar. This holds the charge, which can then be passed to a flexible conductor used to deliver an electric shock to the patient.

Electrotherapy was used for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. This type of equipment was invented by Edward Nairne (1749-1806), an optical and mathematical instrument maker and natural philosopher. Electrotherapy came into popular use in England in the second half of the 1700s.

Measurements:: overall: 510 mm x 840 mm x 400 mm, 5.33 kg

Materials:: boxwood , metal , glass , brass and leather

Object Number:: A199299 Pt1

type:: electrostatic machine

Electrotherapy equipment

Large leather container, for electrotherapeutic machine invented by Nairne, 1780-1809, early 19th century

Object Number:: A199299 Pt2

type:: container

Display case for electrotherapeutic machine invented by Nairne

Display case for electrotherapeutic machine invented by Nairne, 1780-1809.

Electrotherapeutic machine invented by Nairne, 1780-1809, early 19th century; Consists of two leyden jars, two insulated applicators, rod and electroscope.