Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished letter and paper, on medical electricity by John Birch

Reference number: AP/5/9

Date: 01 January 1781

Description

Birch's paper describes the application of electricity and electric shocks to treat certain diseases. Birch describes his contributions to and the design of an electric machine, as well as his system of practice developed from years of experiments with electricity. Birch uses his machine to relieve acute pain, stop spasms, revive paralysed muscles, and remove 'obstructions'. Preceded by an introductory letter from Birch to William Watson.

Subject: Medicine

Written at Essex Street [London].

Reference number
AP/5/9
Earliest possible date
01 January 1781
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
13 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

John Birch

Use this record

IIIF manifest

View​ IIIF ​ manifest Opens in new tab

Open in Mirador viewer Opens in new tab

Export this record

Download PDF Opens in new tab

Citation

John Birch, Unpublished letter and paper, on medical electricity by John Birch, 01 January 1781, AP/5/9, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_5_9/unpublished-letter-and-paper-on-medical-electricity-by-john-birch, accessed on 25 March 2025

Link to this record

https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_5_9/unpublished-letter-and-paper-on-medical-electricity-by-john-birch

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/ap_5_9/unpublished-letter-and-paper-on-medical-electricity-by-john-birch" title="Unpublished letter and paper, on medical electricity by John Birch" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

    View collection