Van Deusen/Kosinski Collection


opportunity of making a thorough trial upon those that were bad, and were very malignant, I cannot avouch for the ultimate effect of eleectricity, in all cases and stages of a cancer.

Doctor Cavallo, in his medical electricity, states the treatment of a very bad cancer, on the breast of a woman, in England, which resisted all medical aid for a long time, and was like to prove fatal. At length, a certain gentleman proposed to try the experiment of trating it by electricity. Accordingly, the trial was made; and the consequence was, that the sensation of pain immediately abated, the cancer discharged freely for a time, and the parts began to contract and heal; and, when Cavallo wrote, the cancer was (and that contrary to the expectation of the gentleman who attended it) likely to get entirely well.

I have not that author's writing by me at this time, or I would copy their manner of treatment, by electricity. Cavallo mentions their extracting the electric spark from the cancer, which proved very beneficial: But they discovered an essential difference between extracting the spark by a steel point, and by a wooden one. The wooden one, if I remember right, would irritate, (Note 1) or in some manner would leave a disagreeable sensation, which did not facilitate, but rather backened the cure; but the steel point was quite different, and had a very salutary effect upon the cancer. These points must not be sharp.

But I cannot discover any cause for the extraction of the spark producing any effect more conducive of cure, than the gentle shock. The action of extraction springs the muscle whence it is extracted, and consequenctly accelerates the motion of the fluids in that particular part; and so will the shocks, in a manner, as I think, more agreeable: For, let the spark be extracted by what instrument it will, it doth tend, more or less, to inflame the part: And if the promotion of inflammation answered any good purpose, then the point that was ost conducive of inflammation, would have had the best effect; but the contrary of all this proves true, by their own confession. Wherefore, it is the gentle shocks, or these chiefly, which produce the valuable effects not only on all kind of malignant ulcers, (which Cavallo asserts they will heal) but also on cancers.

There is another method of using electricity, not yet mentioned - a method I have invented for healing of sore and inflammatory eyes, and some other slight complaints; and that is, by blowing what I have named the aura, upn the part affected. I have named it aura, because its appearance resembles the aurora-borealis, or northern light, or the appearance of the tail of a comet. The sensation of it is


Note 1:
If the wooden point tended more to irritate and inflame the part, surely it would be the best instrument to extract the spark by, when it is intended to promote inflammation and suppuration.

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FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Title page
2 Preface
13 Animal and Vegetable Electricity
15 Chapter 1 - Electric fire promotes the vegetable life, etc.
70 Chapter 2 - Of the Conductors
   97 Chapter 3 - Fever  [Medical Conditions]
108 Peripneumony 171 Cholic 210 Involuntary motion
      of the eyelids
111 Pleurisy 174 Asthma 210 Hemmorage
114 St. Anthony's Fire 176 Diabetes 217 Hemorroids
115 Inflammatory Rheumatism 178 Urine suppressed,
  bloody and hot
217 Ulcers and Abcesses
115 Inflammatory Sore Throat 182 Menses obstructed 220 Rickets
122 Madness 185 King's Evil 221 Locked Jaw or Joints
131 Ague 186 Cancers 224 Bruises
138 St. Vitus's Dance 194 Quincy 229 Nerves contracted
140 Hysterics 195 Head-ache 230 Sprain or Strain
144 Epilepsy 196 Deafness 231 Felon or Whitlow
149 Consumption 197 Inflammatory Eyes 231 Pains in different parts
153 Palsy 197 Film 232 Wounds, etc.
158 Dropsy 199 Gutta Serena 234 Drowning
164 Gout 207 Cataract 237 Suppressed Perspiration
166 Dysentery 209 Fistula Lachrymalis 237 Burns and Scalds
242 Chapter 4  [Equipment]
277 Thoughts on the Times
INDEX
Electricity, or Ethereal Fire, Considered is presented here for historical purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice.





        
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