Name/Title
Wilshire Electric BeltEntry/Object ID
2020.12.11Description
1920s ANTIQUE QUACK MEDICAL DEVICE LEATHER IONACO ELECTRIC BELT - The Ionaco Electric Belt by Gaylord Wilshire 1920s , an Antique Quackery Medical Device Wilshire's concept for his electric belt and his theory of electromagnetic health was influenced by Otto Heinrich Warburg's work on iron in the blood. According to Wilshire, the device's magnetic field was supposed to increase the body's absorption of oxygen to free the body from toxic diseases. The belt was marketed as both a health-improving device and a cure for most diseases; including cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, arthritis, neuritis, and insomnia. The interior had a thick coil of insulated wire that generated a weak magnetic current. It also had a smaller coil of wire with a flashlight globe that would light up when placed close to the thick coil. The exterior of the belt was covered by a thick layer of leather. It was roughly 15 to 18 inches in diameter, wide enough to fit over the shoulder of a grown adult. It weighed about 6.5 pounds.
Credit: WorthPoint.com
