Mystery vintage electrical item

[indigo.girl]

Anyone know what this used to be? There's two batteries in the bottom I think. There's clearly some stuff missing but I'm scratching my head what it could have been for.

Many thanks,
Nicola

[mole42uk]

That looks like capacitors and a coil with a spark gap on top so I'd say the components made a high-voltage supply, maybe a megger for insulation resistance testing?

[Boater Sam]

Medical machine.
Interrupter and capacitor induces a high voltage, the terry clips on the lid held the instruments.

[60 oldjohn]

The Instruments were glass or Perspex, and gave a purple glow when energised.

John.

[ms660]

"More volts Igor"

Lawrence.

[mole42uk]

Something like this:

[indigo.girl]

Wow - how fascinating - I knew you guys would know what it was. Looks a scary piece of kit. Shame all the good bits are gone now..

Thanks,
Nicola

[indigo.girl]

While I've got you all, and before anyone notices I'm breaking all the rules, anyone know what this was? Not electronics but a mystery box with holes in the bottom...

[Tom_I]

Google "violet ray machine" for more information. They were supposed to cure just about all human ailments.

[indigo.girl]

Thanks Tom - what a shame this amazing machine in not still intact! I think we could all do with a bit of electrotherapy!

"A typical violet ray device consisted of an ungrounded electrical control box that controlled the interrupter and which housed the magneto coil, and an attached Bakelite or other handle housing which contained the high voltage coil and an insertion port for attachments. Glass evacuated tubes of varying shapes and for different therapeutic uses could be inserted into the bakelite handle to apply the resulting current to different parts of the body"

"During the 1940s and 1950s, makers of violet ray devices were subjected to numerous lawsuits and multiple actions by the US government including recalls, seizures, forfeitures and orders to have them destroyed"

"Early Wonder Woman stories featured a science fiction healing device known as the "Purple ray," inspired by the violet ray device"

I'm just going to have to bid on this at the auction tomorrow even though its no longer intact - just for its amazing history!


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet...equenz_309.jpg

[60 oldjohn]

Originally Posted by indigo.girl

anyone know what this was?

Magicians prop? just a thought, no idea how it would work.

John.

[Argus25]

The tubes that came with it were gas discharge tubes, typically filled with argon gas. One electrode would be connected to the patient or the chair they were sitting in, the other to the handle assembly. The tube would be stroked over the patient's skin and glow where the glass touched the skin. The currents were low, only on the uA range, so it wasn't dangerous. It just looked very impressive as the tube glowed with contact. Much like a plasma ball does when you touch the glass. As a result the practitioners (charlatans) made all sorts of claims as to the therapeutic benefit of the treatment.

At this point in history, the 1920's era, magnificent feats of electrical power had been demonstrated, huge plasmas, corona discharges and other effects that inspired the special effects in Frankenstein movies, the movie Metropolis and others. The public were in awe of the "power of electricity" so it was an easy sell for the con artists to pedal it as a medical therapy. Some of them, like many alternative practitioners today of therapies which have no scientific proof, were probably deluded and believed the machines worked.

Ironically, later on, the notion of bringing a person to life with an electric charge (as done for Frankenstein's monster) came true with the invention of the defibrillator. However for these to appear to do this, the person isn't dead in the first instance, just has an abnormal or no heart rhythm.

[Boater Sam]

your second box, a humidor?

[Radio Wrangler]

I came across one of these and wondered about bidding on it just because of its quaintness. But I did a bit of research and decided not to bother. An internet search had turned up lots of images of many versions, but my eye was taken by a scan of an old and weary sales pamphlet for a range electrodes. Oooo-er! the names of some of them made it clear just where they were intended to be used. After an "I don't believe it!" interlude I fell about laughing. Some of the images from the search showed recently made models with none of the Edwardian charm of the originals and begged the question of why anyone would want an obviously fake copy of something which never worked in the first place. Let's just say that Victor Frankenstein has mutated into Ann Summers and leave it at that. It would have been an amusing toy harking back to a time when electricity was wonderful and new though charlatans were as old as the hills, but I decided I didn't want the sort of reputation I'd acquire with anyone who googled the thing...

David

[Hartley118]

I seem to remember that my grandfather had one of these gas discharge tube electrical machines. It was called 'The Vitalator'.

I can well imagine that the purple discharge together with the minuscule sparks from the glass to the skin was believed to have a 'vital' effect. If the user believed in it, then it probably worked.

We shouldn't laugh - as part of a relaxing spa treatment, my wife is about to enjoy a facial massage including 'electrical treatment'. So the magical electric psychology has now endured over a century!

Martin

[Herald1360]

Whatever the second box is. I like it.

Admittedly, I like any box that's well made, whether by hand or just nicely precision machined.

Here's a few of mine, hopefully the ex thermocouple RMS galvanometer box (used by me as a toolbox for the last 40 years (and several puppies!)) will push this vaguely back on topic

[indigo.girl]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

It would have been an amusing toy harking back to a time when electricity was wonderful and new though charlatans were as old as the hills, but I decided I didn't want the sort of reputation I'd acquire with anyone who googled the thing...

Ha ha David - yes I did notice these modern version now had 'other' uses

Originally Posted by Herald1360

Here's a few of mine, hopefully the ex thermocouple RMS galvanometer box (used by me as a toolbox for the last 40 years (and several puppies!)) will push this vaguely back on topic

Thanks Herald! There's nothing quite the charm of an old box is there I love how you've used it

[hannahs radios]

I think that the small amount of ozone produced was supposed to be good for you. At one time they thought it was air that was fresher than normal air. Now of course we know ozone actually bad for you but 70 or 80 years ago it was different

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Nicola, Your profile shows you as an ex-scientist, if you have any glassblowing skills why not try to replicate some of the "instrument accessories", so at least the box looks complete.

Ed

[nicam49]

I had a stubborn wart removed (or killed) from the back of my neck by one of those devices at my local barbers in the 50s. Much more effective and quicker than the acids and freezers you get these days.