ELECTRIC FAKES AND FRAUDS

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13432, 10 March 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

ELECTRIC FAKES AND FRAUDS

"Few people who have a knowledge of a electricity would think it possible thai r the lay public is still being exploited. t with the class of merchandise described ( in this article,' 'writes H. Gernsbach i in an American paper in describing • what he calls "electrical frauds." Such i devices as 'electric" belts, "magnetic" r finger rings and "electric" hair brushes? and combs are not nearly so widely I sold as they were twenty years ago. i but, says Mr Gernsbach, "a visit to a second rate drug store will be a revela- < tion to the man who thinks the entire- - world enlightened." i The "electric" belts, trusses, insoles, i etc., have small copper and zinc or 1 silver plates which are supposed to lie i against the skin, and the perspiration is supposed to act as an electrolyte and set no a current of electricity. "Now, of course," continues _Mr Gernsbach, "every student of electricity i knows that the etirrent that can be set up between a copper and silver disc. using a weak acid (perspiration) as an electrolyte, will never be much above three-fourths of a volt. The current is probably never more than one-fourth ampere in the best of these belts. If this current were steady the belt would

at least produce an interrupted flow of electricity. Unhappily, due to what, is known as polarisation, the current in lew* than minute drops to almost aero, and the "electric" belt, as far as electricity is concerned, might awell bo n, plain leather belt: the latter gives almost as much electricity." In some of these contrivances", however, the discs overlap each other, eo that the instant a current is set up they pro short-circuited, and might just as well not ho there. V few of the most pretentious "electric"' belts have batteries stowed, awav j en their linine, but these are so feeble that "the volta.ee drops in all cases to almost zero in less than one minute.'' In the same catagory as the Kelts are the "electric" chest pads and hair nnds. Of the latter Mr Gernshach sav» "for producing headaches it is highly recommended." As for the "electric" hair Trower, its "handle contained a single dry cell giving one and a half volts and about two amperes when new." Tt may be tl ,o t couW grow hair, but Mr Oornsbaeh! doubts it and «ays no such "anaonve current" as this Generates could "make even a passing impression."

The "magnetic" hairbrush and eomb. no longer c old onenlv. the TTpifp.,] States T>ost Offce Department having nut. a c ton to the sale. There was nothins "electric" in them but nn ordinary magnet, and masnetism, no matter how strong, has no effect whatever the human system. The "magnetic" ring belongs to the same class, and the "electric" rina eonld not produce any current, because if the nerspiration were strong enough