What is this? O_____O

[Deleted member 46223]

Found this item packed away while sorting through some old stuff in my basement. It belonged to my grandfather, quite possibly it's over 100 years old. It came all packed in the wooden case pictured with the No 6 Dry Cell battery under the other parts.

 

[Unown (WILD)]

Looks like this thing. Was lucky to find it. I think it's a defibrillator. https://www.alamy.com/catalogue-no-16-springsummer-r-h-macy-co-farradic-current-more-and-moreeery-day-and-our-home-electrical-andmedical-apparatus-is-desigried-to-provide-asafe-and-simple-as-well-as-effective-meansof-administering-this-health-giving-currentat-home-and-without-any-previous-knowl-edge-of-electricity-there-are-no-liquids-oracids-to-confuse-and-there-is-no-dangerwhatever-in-its-use-the-currents-aresmooth-and-even-and-can-be-regulated-froman-almost-imperceptible-current-to-one-thatfew-can-withstand-the-outfit-comprises-a-standard-dry-cell-battery-twosponge-electrodes-with-non-cond-image336735971.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=F52F8829-FE63-4AEE-BFDD-38D8FC3C4583&p=1221884&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo=bar&st=0&pn=1&ps=100&sortby=2&resultview=sortbyPopular&npgs=0&qt=dry%20cell%20battery&qt_raw=dry%20cell%20battery&lic=3&mr=0&pr=0&ot=0&creative=&ag=0&hc=0&pc=&blackwhite=&cutout=&tbar=1&et=0x000000000000000000000&vp=0&loc=0&imgt=0&dtfr=&dtto=&size=0xFF&archive=1&groupid=&pseudoid=&a=&cdid=&cdsrt=&name=&qn=&apalib=&apalic=&lightbox=&gname=&gtype=&xstx=0&simid=&saveQry=&editorial=1&nu=&t=&edoptin=&customgeoip=&cap=1&cbstore=1&vd=0&lb=&fi=2&edrf=&ispremium=1&flip=0&pl=

 

[Unown (WILD)]

Antique Home Electric Shock Machine Quack Medical Marvel Cure Box Oak Case | eBay

In original finish. Note: Funds need to be cleared before item(s) are picked up.

www.ebay.com

 

[WizardG]

Looks like this thing. Was lucky to find it. I think it's a defibrillator. https://www.alamy.com/catalogue-no-16-springsummer-r-h-macy-co-farradic-current-more-and-moreeery-day-and-our-home-electrical-andmedical-apparatus-is-desigried-to-provide-asafe-and-simple-as-well-as-effective-meansof-administering-this-health-giving-currentat-home-and-without-any-previous-knowl-edge-of-electricity-there-are-no-liquids-oracids-to-confuse-and-there-is-no-dangerwhatever-in-its-use-the-currents-aresmooth-and-even-and-can-be-regulated-froman-almost-imperceptible-current-to-one-thatfew-can-withstand-the-outfit-comprises-a-standard-dry-cell-battery-twosponge-electrodes-with-non-cond-image336735971.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=F52F8829-FE63-4AEE-BFDD-38D8FC3C4583&p=1221884&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo=bar&st=0&pn=1&ps=100&sortby=2&resultview=sortbyPopular&npgs=0&qt=dry%20cell%20battery&qt_raw=dry%20cell%20battery&lic=3&mr=0&pr=0&ot=0&creative=&ag=0&hc=0&pc=&blackwhite=&cutout=&tbar=1&et=0x000000000000000000000&vp=0&loc=0&imgt=0&dtfr=&dtto=&size=0xFF&archive=1&groupid=&pseudoid=&a=&cdid=&cdsrt=&name=&qn=&apalib=&apalic=&lightbox=&gname=&gtype=&xstx=0&simid=&saveQry=&editorial=1&nu=&t=&edoptin=&customgeoip=&cap=1&cbstore=1&vd=0&lb=&fi=2&edrf=&ispremium=1&flip=0&pl=

More like a fibrillator. Defibrillators use a great big whack of DC. This thing pumps out little staccato pulses. If you have a pacemaker I'd avoid playing with it.

 

[Cyparagon]

Oh sweet! I love old-school medical quackery gadgets. I'd guess it uses a vibrator (no, not that kind, THIS kind). Google tells me a no6 is 1.5V so a AA should bring it back to life if you want a bit of tingle in your life

 

[icecruncher]

looks like something along the lines of the old violet wands and shock therapy.

Just add to that a container of mercury, some opium and a bottle of Dr Clark Stanleys' miracle tonic and you have a one man road show medical team. Will cure syphilis, warts, toothaches, woman fevers and grow hair after one treatment.

I bought a museum quality geissler tube a few years ago, and while searching I would run across this kind of stuff all the time on Ebay.

Some of them are worthy decent chunk of change.

 

[Deleted member 46223]

Very cool, thanks for the responses. Think I will try to power it up and see what happens. I don't have a pacemaker, so I can take a bit of a shock I guess.

I'm guessing the two wires to the right here connected to the battery? Any idea if polarity matters on this device?

This is what the back of the board looks like:

The center of the black cylinder seems to be adjustable, not sure if this controls power or what?

This is the other end of the black cylinder:

 

[icecruncher]

Very cool, thanks for the responses. Think I will try to power it up and see what happens. I don't have a pacemaker, so I can take a bit of a shock I guess.

I'm guessing the two wires to the right here connected to the battery? Any idea if polarity matters on this device?

Not sure, but with the wiring like it is and not knowing, I would definitely have someone else in the room nearby just in case you light up, especially if it is some form of a leiden jar.

Wish you the best.

 

[Cyparagon]

It's hard to tell without being able to poke it with a multimeter, but that indeed looks like an oscillating solenoid. Presumably it operates something like this: Applying current draws the plunger into the tube, the momentum of the plunger strikes the switch in the rear, which opens the switch, which interrupts the current to the coil, which causes the field to collapse and produce a voltage pulse

I don't think polarity would matter, since there appear to be no polarized components. However, metallurgy has come a long way in the last century, and old copper is known for being rather brittle, and in a high vibration environment like this, the coil may be open. Winding your own would be trivial, but it really is a pointless machine to begin with.

 

[WizardG]

You can buy the 'modern' version of this circuit in one of those novelty 'shock' lighters.

 

[kecked]

I think the wires attach to you and then you move the cylinder over your area of interest....
I’d try it on a multimeter first.

 

[Seoul_lasers]

Found this item packed away while sorting through some old stuff in my basement. It belonged to my grandfather, quite possibly it's over 100 years old. It came all packed in the wooden case pictured with the No 6 Dry Cell battery under the other parts.

This is an electrostimulation machine from the early ~1900s ( it appears to be)
the battery shown is probably from the late 40's early 50s..
These quack medical devices actually started showing up around the mid-late 19th century ( 1850/60s)

The electro stimulation machine was used to relieve sore muscles. There exists no defibrillator form this era - not until 1978.
Defibrillators require huge impulse currents to work 100's of Amps.

Is there any markings on the box? ---- nmvmd , I see an engraving date of 03/1902

 

[MrLaser1982]

Looks like one of those old electrotherapy quackery machines from the late 1800's/early 1900's, you would often see them used for headache relief and a holst of other things. Occasionally you see higher voltage ones with neon/argon glass tubes which illuminate when brought next to the skin for incresaed WOOWOO factor.

 

[Unown (WILD)]

I'd like to see what they used to do with dental work back then. Must have been horrid

 

[MrLaser1982]

I'd like to see what they used to do with dental work back then. Must have been horrid

Some of the implements used in that era inspire enough nightmares as it is, I don't think I would like to know any more.

I did once see a really vintage drill unit which was basically a motor in the base which ran a drill head using a really, really long drive belt that took an incredibly tortuous route along spring loaded arms with spindly pulleys. Fascinating, but I'm glad they don't need to use those any more.

 

[Commander J. Bloodmaker]

Well by god it's an old tone nail fungus eliminator. Just add 120v and hook to your toes. Soon as ya stop breathing, tone nail fungus is dead. lol jk