The Miraculous Oxydonor

How wonderful it would be to have a device that cured every disease!

That is exactly what the Oxydonoor, purported to do. Invented in the 1890s by Dr. Hercules Sanche, and released to the general public in 1896, the Oxydonor consisted of a nickel plated tube containing  a stick of carbon with wires leading from it to electrodes attached to a metal contact pad. The user of the device would put the tube in a bowl of water, attach the metal plate to a wrist or ankle, then lie in bed while the Oxydonor did its work. The colder the water, the more effective the treatment, according to Dr. Sanche.

How did the Oxydonor cure all diseases except for those that were terminal? By forcing oxygen through the skin into the body, of course. People of the era did not understand that oxygen could only enter the body through the lungs.

The device was said to stimulate nerves and increase blood flow as the oxygen levels in the body increased  which, in turn, cured diseases. Dr. Sanche  stated that his device was so effective that it would soon take the place of doctors.

Guess what? It didn’t work.

Guess what else? Dr. Sanche wasn’t really a doctor. He was a businessman who devised a field of medicine called diaduction. He believed that an undercurrent connected all natural organisms, and a disruption of that current created illness. Oxygen, he believed, could restore the disruption of the natural current, thus the Oxydonor. He moved frequently to stay one step ahead of the authorities as the complaints rolled in, but continued to market his device and to warn the general public against imitators.

In 1915 a fraud order was issued against him in New York, and he was sentenced to 18 months in jail. He avoided shutting down operations after that by moving to Montreal Canada, where he continued to market his device until the 1950s.

If you are interested in trying Dr. Sanche’s miracle device, you can pick one up on eBay. There are several listed there.

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Jeannie Watt raises cattle in Montana and loves all things western. When she's not writing, Jeannie enjoys sewing, making mosaic mirrors, riding her horses and buying hay. Lots and lots of hay.

24 thoughts on “The Miraculous Oxydonor”

  1. Does anyone else remember the episode of “I Love Lucy” where she became an actress on an ad for a similar product that was a liquid diet tonic, Vitameatavegemin? Humanity doesn’t change much, does it? This one’s “active ingredient” was some form of alcohol.

  2. I don’t think I would try the machine
    Tho having something to cure all diseases would be wonderful.

  3. I was the facilitator for support group of individuals with an incurable chronic autoimmune disease–I have it, too–and a man came in with a similar device. He was using it on himself and his wife. We made him leave. It’s scary that people will still try these devices.

    • Exactly. I taught science and tried hard to teach my students to look closely at things. It’s a skill. Some people are desperate, though, and I feel for them because they need to clutch at straws.

  4. One of the things we have found in the “old house” where my husband’s family lived in the early 1900’s is a nice wooden box with some device that was supposed to help his uncle who had had brain surgery at Mayo Clinic in 1918. We have all laughed over it but I’m sure when it was bought the family had great hopes it would help ease his pain. The uncle had been injured in an incident with a neighbor friend and had what would probably be called today a traumatic brain injury. I am so glad medicine has progressed and sad that some families are still taken in by the snake oil salesman.

  5. That machine actually sounds a bit painful. I guess desparate people of the day would try anything in the hopes it works.
    No thanks on the ebay thing. lol

  6. Hilarious. As a child I remember seeing ads for all kinds of cures, none of which worked. Would have been wonderful if they had. Sounds like it might have been as helpful as blood letting. Thanks for enlightening us to this cure all.

  7. Wow, this is so interesting and so very sad, what desperate people won’t try. And unfortunately there will always be scammers taking advantage and making money at it.

  8. I don’t think I will give it a try. There are so many people out there selling “treatments” and “cures,” no one should be sick. Of course, few of them work. They are making people rich taking advantage of the ever hopeful and desperate people who are ill or have loved ones who need help. Thank you for an interesting post.

  9. I am currently working on a clinical trial and it has been years of paperwork, approvals, etc. Every person who does legitimate research involving humans in the US is required to take courses. These courses explain cases that led to such strict and complicated laws and the importance of protecting those you’re serving. While I think the process could be simpler and faster, I’m glad we have protections and levels of oversight in place. It’s not perfect, but I’m glad we’ve progressed the scientific methods and approvals so that approved medicines and devices have gone through rigorous oversight and testing.

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