Violet Ray

Ref. M12

Violet Ray is an antique medical appliance used during the early 20th century in the obsolete medical electrotherapy presently considered as “quack medicine”. Their construction usually feature an induction coil (a combination of a disruptive discharge coil with an interrupter, invented by Nicola Tesla in rhe late 1800’s) to apply a high voltage, high frequency, and very low current to the human body for therapeutic purposes.

The violet ray hand-held applicator contains the high voltage coil and an insertion port for attachments. Glass evacuated tubes of varying shapes and for different therapeutic uses could be inserted into this port in order to apply the resulting current to different parts of the body. Old advertisements claimed cures of almost all ailments as detailed in the following list:

The glass electrodes (also called wands) contain some argon gas which gives to the electric discharge its typical violet color.

Violet ray boomed before the Great Depression (1930), losing some ground thereafter. During the 1940s and 1950s, makers of violet ray devices were subjected to numerous lawsuits and multiple actions by the US government including recalls, seizures, forfeitures and orders to have them destroyed. 

The last manufacturer of violet ray electrotherapy devices in the United States was Master Electric. The company was subjected to a 1951 lawsuit in Marion, Indiana, and the devices were seized by the FDA. While their manufacture was prohibited in the US by law, violet ray electrotherapy devices are still manufactured by companies outside of the United States.

However, in the United States Violet Ray devices are authorized for use only for some skin affections.

The set pictured above is undated and was made by RADIOLUX. It probably ceased to exist.