We
were lucky enough to have a class last week at the London Science Museum. There were a lot of fun things to see on many
different floors. The program we went to was called Lates. There were too many
shows and events to choose from. We could dance at the silent disco, listen to
a pregnant man, or even explore space. Before adventuring through five floors
of events we explored an exhibit that related to our course, the history of
psychology. One of the main reasons that we had class at night in a museum was
because one of their exhibitions called “Mind Maps: Stories from Psychology.”
This was a perfect place for our class! We were able to explore through moments
of psychology history that had to do with nerves and the mind. From 1780 to the
present day we got to see a glimpse at the many changes that psychology has
gone through. From the use of an electric generator to the use of an electric
chair all the way up until the invention of PET scans and research on the mind
that is done today. The use of electricity was a common topic throughout the
entire exhibit. From shocking animals legs to resemble the nerve conduction to
using electricity to treat humans through chairs, belts, and cages.
In an attempt to understand how the
human body works, and what separates us from other organisms, many early
scientists and psychologists believed that we could manipulate the electrical
properties of our bodies. This idea called electrophysiology, was commonly
studied throughout the 18th and 19th centuries,
especially in America and Europe. Since the discovery of electricity in the
body, electric shock therapy was a popular form of treatment for many ailments
during this time. In the past people would run electricity through their bodies
with the expectation to cure headaches, every day pains, insanity, and even
just to sustain a healthy life.
Scientists like Jacques-Arsene
d’Arsonval were very interested in the idea of stabilizing electric levels in
organisms. D’Arsonval invented a machine, commonly called the d’Arsonval cage,
which people would stand inside and a field of electricity would surround them.
It was thought that by being present within the field of electricity, that ones
electric levels would be manipulated and stabilized.
Today, we understand that this type
of therapy, although not extremely harmful, has really no health benefits. You
do occasionally see electric shock therapy for the induction of seizures. The
science behind this is still highly unknown and debated, but it seems that when
you apply enough electricity to a patient of depression, or hallucinations, in
a safe environment to the point where a seizure is induced, the patient will
usually be relieved of those symptoms, leading to a “reset” of brain activity.
Sometimes though, the patient can experience forms of memory loss due to the
seizure.
Here is an image of what d’Arsonval cage looked like. The wires formed a field of electricity.
Click here for more information on electroshock therapy.
Nick Martin & Samantha Beckwith
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