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Abrams, Albert (1863-1924)

A San Francisco physician who devised a system of diagnosis and healing variously termed radionics, electronic medicine, or electronics. Abrams, who had a distinguished medical background, graduated in medicine at Heidelberg University, Germany, and was professor of pathology at Cooper Medical College, San Francisco, California. Working on cancer patients, he believed that he had discovered that diseased tissue radiated an abnormal wave. His work further led to his invention of the oscilloclast, an electrical instrument for generating oscillations involving changes of skin potential, based on an electronic theory of disease. Developments of Abrams's apparatus have since come to be known as black boxes. In 1922, just two years before his death, the British Royal Society of Medicine issued a negative report on Abrams, and his work almost died out. It was picked up by Ruth Drown during the 1930s. His work was carried on by the American Association for Medico-Physical Research.