A New Electronic Theory of Life (1925)

Electrotherapy is most often associated with its modern manifestations, yet it has a tradition that stretches back to at least the mid-18th century. One of the major advocates of this technique was Otto Overbeck (1852-1937), an eccentric industrial scientist and inventor. He studied chemistry at University College London and worked for a brewery in Grimsby as scientific director—a common career path for chemists in the late 19th century. While there, Overbeck patented a number of devices in relation to his work, but he is best remembered for contributions to electrotherapy in his later life.

His health deteriorated during the early 1920s, and he became increasingly desperate in his …