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History of Science Museum

Medical Induction Coil, English, c. 1850

Inventory Number 80659


Acknowledgement: © History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, inv.80659

Subject
Medicine
Item type
Object
Provenance
Presented by Mr A. C. Longland.
Physical material
Wood
copper alloy
ivory
wax
Dimensions
Diameter: 215mm Height: 212mm Width: 200mm Weight: 2694g
Inventory No
80659
Accession Number
1964-233

Description

The instrument creats a higher voltage across a secondary coil by making and breaking the circuit of a primary. This induced current is delivered to the patient who holds the terminals. This primary circuit can be interrupted either by a hand-worked contact breaker (a copper alloy broken up by ivory segements and leaf spring), or by a Neef's hammer break (a single electro-magnet, and a mercury cup contact on top of the leaf spring).