AN INGENIOUS DOCTOR

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 10377, 15 May 1930, Page 4

AN INGENIOUS DOCTOR

NEW METHOD OF BATTERY CHARGING. Rather an interesting story of an ingenious method adopted by a doctor in Northern Nigeria—many miles from anywhere—-to get, his car started when he found his battery completely exhausted was recently related on his return to London. One day he was called from his hospital.centre at Gardika, Africa, to attend a patient at a mission station hundreds of miles away on the French Camcroons frontier. Just before he arrived at his destination, he found there was a broad river over which he could not take his car. As time was precious, he left the car on one bank and crossed by boat to the other side to sec his patient. 'He was detained there two days, and when he got back to the car—whch was equipped with battery ignition only—-he found that mischievous and inquisitive black men and boys had exhausted the battery by playing with the horn and lights. Ho tried pushing the car so as to get a spark or two, but it was of no avail. Finally he got the loccal missionary’s* bicycle, took the tyre off the back wheel, cut a strip of goat skin for a belt and soaked it in water so as to straighten it. Then he rigged the cycle upside down on some boxes, put the belt round the back rim and the pulley of the dynamo on the car and vigorously turned the pedals. In a minute or two he got the precious spark; but so as not to run any more risks he turned the pedals for about an hour and well recharged the battery.