Alfred Charles Garratt

First book on electrotherapy written by Dr. Garratt (1860)

Alfred Charles Garratt (October 3, 1813 – June 30, 1891) was an American medical doctor who frequently used electricity as a medical tool. He was the first full-time medical doctor in electrotherapy in the United States and wrote the first book on the subject.

Biography

Garratt was born in Brookhaven, New York, on October 3, 1813.^[1] His father was Richard Garratt. He was a graduate of Lenox Academy, and in 1836 a graduate of Medical School, College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He was also a graduate of the Berkshire Medical College.^[2]

Garratt was surgeon to the United States Dragoons at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and United States Vice Consul at Port-Au-Prince for two years. After the government position as Vice Consul he practiced medicine and kept an apothecary's shop in Abington, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Medical Society in 1849.^[2]

Garratt came to Hanover, Massachusetts, in 1851 and resided in the house^[3] left vacant by Dr. Fobes which was originally built by the Rev. Joab G. Cooper, rector of Saint Andrew's Parish.^[4] The house was built with wood from the old Episcopal Church building at Church Hill when it was torn down to make way for the present church in Hanover.^[2]

Flexible 'button' battery assembly patent

Medical electrical invention

Garratt patented a physiological "button" battery on July 6, 1869. The invention (no. 92,301) consisted of several button size discs made from copper or silver and an alloy of dissimilar metals. The assembly of "button" battery discs was constructed into a flexible insulation base. The small batteries were wired together and a set metallic connections were made at each end of the assembly for the plus and minus electrical connections. The idea behind the flexible insulation base was so that it could be worn upon uneven body parts like arms and legs.^[5]

Family

Garratt's daughter Harriet was born in 1838. His son Charles was born in 1844. His second son, Joshua, was born in 1850 and his third son, Allen, was born in 1853.^[6] Garratt's first wife, Elizabeth, was born in 1817.^[7] His second wife, Martha, was born about 1815.^[8][9] By 1880 Garratt was widowed.^[10]

Later life

Garratt moved to Boston after practicing in Hanover for about twenty years. In Boston he had a medical office for many years in the rear of the renown Tremont House. He became the first full-time medical doctor in electrotherapy in the United States.^[11][12]

Retirement and death

Garratt retired from practice in 1888. In 1891 he died at the age of seventy-eight years.^[2]

Works

• Electro-Physiology and Electro-Therapeutics, showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity. The first book on electrotherapy was originally published in 1860 by Ticknor and Fields of Boston, Massachusetts.^[13] It was republished by Kessinger Publishing in 2008.^[14]
• Guide for Using Medical Batteries: Being A Compendium from His Larger Work on Medical Electricity and Nervous Diseases published originally in Philadelphia in 1866 by J. B. Lippincott & Co. It was republished by Kessinger Publishing in 2008.^[15]
• Medical electricity; embracing electro-physiology and electricity as a therapeutic published in Philadelphia in 1866 by J. B. Lippincott & Co.^[16]
• Myths in Medicine and Old-time Doctors published in New York and London in 1884 by G.P. Putnam's sons / The Knickerbocker Press.

References

Sources

• Dwelley, Jedediah; Simmons, John F. (1911). History of the Town of Hanover, Massachusetts, with Family Genealogies. town of Hanover. 
• Ford, David Barnes (1899). History of Hanover Academy. H.M. Hight, Printer. 
• Kane, Joseph Nathan (1997). Famous First Facts, Fifth Edition. item 2198: The H. W. Wilson Company. ISBN 0-8242-0930-3. The first electrotherapy book was Dr. Alfred Charles Garratt’s 'Electro-Physiology and Electro-Therapeutics, showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity', 712 pages, published in 1860 by Ticknor and Fields, Boston, MA. 
• Licht, Sidney Herman (1967). Therapeutic electricity and ultraviolet radiation. E. Licht. Garratt, after twenty years of general practice, became the first full-time specialist in electrotherapy in this country. 
• LongIsland, HistoricalSociety (1893). Catalogue of the Library of the Long Island Historical Society, 1863-1893. Society [Baltimore, Press of Deutsch lithographing & printing Company]. 
• Plymouth County (1867). The Plymouth County Directory, and Historical Register of the Old Colony. S.B. Pratt & Company. 
• Stillwell, G. Keith (1983). Therapeutic electricity and ultraviolet radiation. Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-683-07979-1. Garratt, after 20 years of general practice, became the first full-time specialist in electrotherapy in this country. 
• Woodcroft, B (1868). Descriptive index [afterw.] Chronological and descriptive index of patents applied for and patents granted, by B. 

Further reading

• Patent Office, United States (1881). Specifications and Drawings of Patents Relating to Electricity Issued by the U. S.