Re: Piffard Hyperstatic Transformer - Static Electric powered Tesla Coil (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:20:05 +0000
From: Jeff Behary <jeff_behary@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Piffard Hyperstatic Transformer - Static Electric powered Tesla
    Coil (fwd)

Hi dwp,

God knows there was more than a fair share of quackery at that time abusing 
the term "Tesla Coil", but in the first few years most of it was legitimate 
experimentation by curious doctors that led to both good and bad results.  
My site is full of "Violet Ray" manuals that exploit the currents to all 
ends imaginable and only about 5% of the claims are actually close to being 
true...but there is an equal number of obscure medical publications and 
books from the early years that tell a more accurate story of "authentic" 
uses for the machines.  In the [few] legitimate sources, you can see case 
studies in full and both positive and negative results - normally with 
before and after photos too.  I'll try and find some for this device to add 
to the page.

The "Hyperstatic" coil was used successfully for treating specific 
conditions.  The effects of the soft sparks (the ozone and UV radiations) 
were used for treating bacterial conditions of the skin, and the sparks 
themselves were used for dehydrating the surface of oils to treat simple 
things like acne.  Today germicidal UV lamps are used for the same purposes 
(by people licensed to use them), and even Tesla Coils are still made (well 
hidden) in expensive cabinets that also perform other skin related and 
cosmetic tasks.  Most of the time they are used by "estheticians" that also 
do "blended electrolysis" (basically a miniature DC welder with high 
frequency arc stabilizer used to remove hair with fine needles instead of 
electrodes...).

Luckily there has been a recent trend in the last few years to get the 
devices and procedures FDA approved, and those doing the procedures require 
licenses and training, etc...  These modern units, while simple in 
construction, sell for upward of $5000.  Several of the courses required for 
licenses to operate these machines run into the $8000 - $10,000 range or 
more.

Its highway robbery to one extent, but at the same time its a good thing.  
It provides the public with someone and something legitimate.  You're not 
likely to learn about Tesla in any of the courses, but its 100 times better 
than seeing his name coupled next to an unsafe and unethical "alternative 
medical device" with 1000 disclaimers stating its not for medical use and a 
booklet of nonsense implying that it'll cure cancer...:(

For the last century, the few real benefits of Tesla Coils in medicine has 
been obscured by fraud and greed of those selling the devices.  We can all 
hope that through education this will change.

Regardless of the medical use of the machines, the construction and 
operation of them is neat.
So to keep this post on topic, has anyone else ever seen plans or mention of 
another Tesla Coil operated from a static or influence machine in particular 
(as opposed to an induction coil or transformer, etc).  Its not exactly the 
first experiment that comes to mind if you own one, but I guess if you have 
a large Wimshurst Machine it would be a neat addition to go with your 
Franklin Bells and Ion Motor...

Jeff Behary, c/o
The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com

_________________________________________________________________
Puzzles, trivia teasers, word scrambles and more. Play for your chance to 
win! http://club.live.com/home.aspx?icid=CLUB_hotmailtextlink