Storeroom Discoveriesvideo series: the renulife Violet Ray health generator
The Sindecuse Museum does not endorse the use of this product or similar models. Manufacture of Violet Ray appliances was prohibited in the United States in 1951. For any dental and medical concerns, please consult healthcare professionals.
In a new video for our Storeroom Discoveries series, Collections Coordinator Adam Johnson explores a now-debunked electrotherapy device: the Model R Renulife Violet Ray Health Generator.
Various companies produced these machines beginning in the late 1910s. They were purported to treat a variety of conditions including tooth ache, eczema, headaches, and muscle pains,. The Renulife Electric Company Inc. was local to Michigan, in 1925 their return address was 512 Empire Building in Detroit. The Model R was made in the USA and patented Sept 30, 1919, the script on this model also credits Beasley-Eastman Laboratories, Inc.
Renulife even had a dental model, the Model D. This device had specific dental electrodes which were used to treat cavities, gums, abscesses, and pyorrhea (or bad breath).
FDA complaints as early as the late 1920s said electrotherapy machines merely “give forth a violet ray but are in no way similar to ultraviolet rays” and were not effective in treating any maladies.
A letter that accompanies our Model R states:
“Our machines ranging in price from $12.50 to $75.00, differ primarily in the strength, control and regulation of the current. Model “M” selling for $45.00 is our most popular outfit for general use. The control switch on this model as well as on model “R”, permits a much finer regulation for internal as well as external use, that you cannot get on the smaller Generators.
Model “R” in addition to being a 50 watt outfit and having the three way switch, has a built-in Ozone Generator, which is very beneficial for all types of congestion in the throat, nose and lungs.”
The Sindecuse Museum’s model R may have been used for dental therapy, now we know not to use these devices for any reason. For further research, we recommend researching terms like “Violet Ray” and “electrotherapy” at the Bakken Museum’s excellent library and artifact collection online.