Thank you to all who sent comments and advice about my recently acquired
antique "Holo-Electron" mystery box...
So it's a Violet Ray device, high frequency currents, probably creating mild
diathermy in living tissues (and burns if the electrodes are not constantly
moving), mainly used since the 1920's (at least) for cosmetic care, better
blood circulation, cicatrisation and bone repair, and for muscular or
articular pain.
I got the contact of the manufacturer in Paris, who, apparently, is still
selling those units. Amazing, after all those decades ! I will get in touch
with him when I return from vacation, get my antique unit checked, and
learn more...
BTW, I was reminded that the Violet Ray and other high-frequency therapies
stem partly from Nikola Tesla, and partly from French electrotherapy
pionneer Jacques Arsene d'Arsonval (1851 - 1940). In the old dictionaries,
you find the word "darsonvalisation" as synonym for electromedicine. He was
a high-ranking mainstream scientist, a prolific inventor in lots of
different fields, and also, at one point, the "official protector" of
Lakhovsky (who was originally an electrical engineer) in the
medical/university world... D'Arsonval was a brilliant man, perhaps a genius
- lots of streets and colleges are named after him in France, but he's
completely forgotten nervertheless !
Or rather, he was...
I'll be unsuscribing tomorrow for 3 weeks vacation. Will be back on August
17th. I'll miss you all ! See'ya soon !
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Jean-Pierre Lentin
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