Title: Benjamin Franklin, electricity, and the palsies
Abstract:Benjamin Franklin was involved not only with the nature of electricity but with its possible medical utility. He conducted electrical experiments on people with palsies, notably those caused by stroke...Benjamin Franklin was involved not only with the nature of electricity but with its possible medical utility. He conducted electrical experiments on people with palsies, notably those caused by stroke, to see if electricity from machines could restore movement. Franklin recognized that electricity was not the miraculous cure it was hoped to be, and he presented his findings in 1757 as communication to the Royal Society. Although he did not provide names or individual case studies in this communication, subsequently published in 1758, his personal letters reveal that he treated at least two important colonists: James Logan, William Penn9s secretary and a prominent public official in Pennsylvania, and Jonathan Belcher, governor of several provinces. Franklin9s private letters shed light on how he conducted his clinical "tryals" and why he drew the conclusions he did in his report to the Royal Society.Read More
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 23
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