The Shock Box - John Dunn, Consultant, Ambertec, P.E., P.C.

In the year 1924, when my mother was seventeen, she was stricken with polio which paralyzed her entire right side.

She was taken care of as well as anyone could have been at the time. Treatment consisted of receiving electrical muscle stimulation from an induction coil that was mounted on a wooden box. The stimulator's coil was mounted to the box on top of a painted wooden panel. In the center of the coil, there was a sliding brass plunger which was used to control the energy delivered to the patient during each treatment.    

 

 

 

Inside the box was a number six dry-cell and going back to the top panel again, there was a switch. A pair of four-foot wires terminated with wet sponges carried the inductor's kick to a pair of electrodes that had to be held in place on my mother's skin.

Each time the switch was operated, the coil would operate as a buzzer to deliver an electric shock that caused her inoperative muscles to twitch quite violently. The shock strength was adjustable by sliding that brass plunger in or out. It was an aggressive treatment, yes, but doing this kept her muscles from going into total atrophy. This treatment was administered to her by her brother every single day for many years.

Eventually, she regained her right side functions although her right hand remained withered. She could use that hand, but she always kept it kind of hidden from view when she was with company. Her hand made her somewhat self conscious.

Mom was fortunate not to have slipped into respiratory paralysis. Those of us who are old enough to remember the polio scares of the mid-1950s can also remember what an iron lung was. At least Mom was spared that.

We often allow ourselves to be reassured that our physical well beings are being very well protected by the latest miraculous medical advances and often, that is indeed the case.

However, I will always remember being told how this primitive device, combined with the attentions of a loving family, tended to Mom's medical needs quite effectively.

 

 

Comments

[Melbourne Electrician]

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[harry johnson]

I'm glad this helped your mom. I am surprised the government did't try to ban this device like they did the Rife device. I think that's what it was called.