Electrogalvanic amulet

Electrogalvanic amulet Electrogalvanic amulet, Richardson's Magneto-Galvanic Battery

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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

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

Electrogalvanic amulet, Richardson's Magneto-Galvanic Battery
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Electrogalvanic amulet, Richardson's Magneto-Galvanic Battery (or possibly a fake?), disc with cross at centre and 14 small discs arranged in a circle around it. Made of zinc, brass, copper, iron and nickel, with woven string instead of chain. Made by A.M. Richardson & Co., New York, USA, 1880-1900. Engraved on front of cross with two hearts radiating electric bolts, and on reverse side with 'PAT & RD US, GB, FRANCE, ITALY ETC.' Note gap in outer ring around disc. Similar to A602762.

Details

Category:
Therapeutics
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A602763
Materials:
zinc, nickel, brass, copper, iron and string
Measurements:
overall (max string): 97 mm x 40 mm x 2 mm, .02 kg
type:
therapeutic amulets
credit:
Loan, Wellcome Trust

Parts

Electrogalvanic amulet, Richardson's Magneto-Galvanic Battery (or possibly a fake?), disc with cross at centre and 14 small discs arranged in a circle around it, engraved on front of cross with two hearts radiating electric bolts, and on reverse side with 'PAT & RD US, GB, FRANCE, ITALY ETC.' made of zinc, brass, copper, iron and nickel, by A.M. Richardson & Co., New York, USA, 1880-1900

Electrogalvanic amulet

Electrogalvanic amulet, Richardson's Magneto-Galvanic Battery (or possibly a fake?), disc with cross at centre and 14 small discs arranged in a circle around it, engraved on front of cross with two hearts radiating electric bolts, and on reverse side with 'PAT & RD US, GB, FRANCE, ITALY ETC.' made of zinc, brass, copper, iron and nickel, by A.M. Richardson & Co., New York, USA, 1880-1900

More

Worn against the skin and in contact with sweat, amulets made up of a combination of metal alloys were believed to create a weak electrical charge, recharging the body's electrical supply. It was based on an ideal that electricity was responsible for healthy nerves and blood flow. Richardson's galvanic amluet was one of several on the UK and US markets that claimed to treat everything including low spirits, loss of appetite, back-ache, dizziness and flu.

Galvanic was a term used for the production of electricity from a chemical reaction.

Measurements:
overall (max string): 97 mm x 40 mm x 2 mm, .02 kg
Materials:
zinc , nickel , brass , copper , iron and string
Object Number:
A602763/1
type:
therapeutic amulets
Electrogalvanic amulet

Electrogalvanic amulet

Woven string from Electrogalvanic amulet, Richardson's Magneto-Galvanic Battery. Made by A.M. Richardson & Co., New York, USA, 1880-1900.

Measurements:
overall (max string): 97 mm x 40 mm x 2 mm, .02 kg
Materials:
zinc , nickel , brass , copper , iron and string
Object Number:
A602763/2
type:
therapeutic amulets
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum