During the early half of the 20th century, there is a huge fascination for the latest technologies of the time and how they can transfo...
During the early half of the 20th century, there is a huge fascination for the latest technologies of the time and how they can transform how we live. One of the growing wonders of human progress has been electricity as it brought us all the comforts of modern living. However, most of us have yet to know about the practical use of electricity and the potential dangers this brought. Despite that, many inventions, both dubious and ahead of its time, have flooded the market.
Bath time has always been a private affair but it was during this time that many inventions have explored the application of electricity to this personal cleansing ritual. One of the fad during the 1930s was the electric bath. Sounds like an evil torture contraption is it? Good thing it didn't exactly involve mixing bubble bath with electricity. Few have thought that this invention would become the predecessor of today's tanning bed.
The invention was basically an old self-standing horizontal reclining tanning device designed and produced by the German firm Heraeus, which also produced numerous ultraviolet lamps at the turn of the century. These were featured on the RMS Olympic, RMS Titanic, SS Adriatic, and in numerous light care institutes.
Light therapy has become a popular therapeutic movement in Europe up to the 1940s and it was widely believed during the time that ultraviolet light can rejuvenate our body. In fact, hospitals have opened light therapy departments that offered electric baths as a free service to treat acute and chronic diseases even though there is no solid scientific basis for the supposed curing effects.
Interestingly, Harvey Kellogg of the corn flakes fame has built his own electric bath in the United States. The New York Times even credited him just after Thomas Edison's light bulb moment. During the 1870s, he ran a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan where holistic methods were implemented to go along with his inventions including his corn flakes diet.
Writing on the subject in 1910, Harvey said: "The electric-light bath prolonged to the extent of producing vigorous perspiration should be employed two or three times a week. Tanning the whole surface of the body means of the arc light will be an excellent means of improving the patient's general vital condition."
Oddly enough, vegetarianism advocate Kellogg branded masturbation as 'self-abuse' and that diet played a huge role in it so that a bland diet would effectively prevent masturbation. Because of this, he became the leader of the anti-masturbation movement and invented the Corn Flakes breakfast cereal and electric bath.
It was widely believed during that time that they can produce artificial sunlight that can be used throughout our body or affected area as a powerful regenerative agent. No one has known the true impact of ultraviolet light at that time although they believe it has a "powerful anti-bacterial action." In 1903, Neils Finsen won the Nobel Prize for his work in treating skin tuberculosis using ultraviolet light.
By the 1940s, more clinics are offering sun therapy throughout Europe to treat patients with tuberculosis while major hospitals have started using 'sun-lamps' for all sorts of diseases from anemia to varicose veins, circulatory diseases to degenerative disorders. Some have even administered ultraviolet light to the whole body thereby irradiating a substantial amount of blood.
During the light therapy boom, many products were rolled out to the public including special lamps and devices for the electric bath. No one ever thought about the impact of ultraviolet light on skin cancer cases. Irresponsible and reckless physicians have inadvertently overexposed people to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.
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