Dr. Scott's Electric Hair Brush Compass....yes im serious...
I was detecting a house built in 1860...and I found this, I had no idea I would find this much info about it on the web, definitely one of my more interesting finds (although I would have rather found the electric hair brush itself
)
One of the more famous quack devices of the 1880's, advertised in Harpers Weekly and other popular magazines. Dr. Scott's 1881 patent claimed merely several magnets embedded in a plastic material and a mold for holding the bristles, which are also embedded in the hard rubber. There is the usual crack across the handle - the metal rods embedded in the thermoplastic material and running the entire length of the brush prevent the handles from breaking. Marked "No 5" and "Dr. Scott's Electric" on the underside of the handle, and "The Germ of all Life is Electricity".
A "Dr. Scott's" compass is included. The 1" diameter compasses were included with each brush so the customer could be amazed that a non metallic brush could cause the needle to move (electricity!).
I was detecting a house built in 1860...and I found this, I had no idea I would find this much info about it on the web, definitely one of my more interesting finds (although I would have rather found the electric hair brush itself
)
One of the more famous quack devices of the 1880's, advertised in Harpers Weekly and other popular magazines. Dr. Scott's 1881 patent claimed merely several magnets embedded in a plastic material and a mold for holding the bristles, which are also embedded in the hard rubber. There is the usual crack across the handle - the metal rods embedded in the thermoplastic material and running the entire length of the brush prevent the handles from breaking. Marked "No 5" and "Dr. Scott's Electric" on the underside of the handle, and "The Germ of all Life is Electricity".
A "Dr. Scott's" compass is included. The 1" diameter compasses were included with each brush so the customer could be amazed that a non metallic brush could cause the needle to move (electricity!).
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Even if you cleaned it up it's in remarkable condition. That is a wierd invention by any standard 
