The Ionaco (often stylized as I-on-a-co or I-ON-A-CO) was an electric belt developed by

Gaylord Wilshire Henry Gaylord Wilshire (June 7, 1861 – September 7, 1927), known to his contemporaries by his middle name of "Gaylord", was an American land developer, publisher, and outspoken socialist. He is the namesake of Los Angeles' Wilshire Boulevard. ...

after his career in politics. It was advertised during the 1920s as a curing device but was dismissed by contemporary medical experts as

quackery Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or ignorant medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, ...

Background

Some historians have offered different theories on Wilshire's decision to work on the Ionaco. Carolyn Thomas de la Peña wrote that it could have been to make up for Wilshire's political failures. Donald G. Davis noted that Wilshire had severe headaches which doctors in the United States and Europe failed to cure. Davis argued that Wilshire was motivated to enter the medical field to find a cure to his own condition. At the age of 64, Wilshire turned from his work in real estate to focus on the area of public health. He explored radium-infused garments, electric heating pads, and distributed a special kind of health bread called "Ex-cell-o" before working on his electric belt. This title likely inspired the name for his belt, the "I-on-a-co". He first recorded his theory for "the radiation cure" in 1924. An early idea for this cure was a magnetic turban for head use.

History

Wilshire developed the "Life Belt" for 15 years starting in 1910. He tried it on himself in 1925, and it reportedly cured his condition. He started giving the belt to his relatives and friends, who also reported positive results. About 50,000 devices were sold between 1925 and 1927. Wilshire established the Iona Company with general offices in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Agencies for this company spread throughout the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas of the United States. Sales for the Ionaco reached a peak in the fall of 1926, and the company attempted to establish agents in Europe. By 1927 the company had 23 regional offices and around 70 demonstrators. Several health organizations started to investigate the Ionaco during this time, including the Public Health League of Washington, the Better Business Bureau of Seattle, and the

Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research The Rockefeller University is a private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 19 ...

. On 18 November 1926 Wilshire challenged the California medical profession to investigate his device in a full-page advertisement in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

''. Arthur J. Cramp of the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's state ...

(AMA) responded to Wilshire's letter with an article that critically analyzed the claims regarding the Ionaco. This eventually led to a decline in device sales in the summer of 1927. The Iona Company dissolved following Wilshire's death in 1927, though sellers continued to promote the Ionaco throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

Design

Wilshire's concept for his electric belt and his theory of electromagnetic health was influenced by

Otto Heinrich Warburg Otto Heinrich Warburg (, ; 8 October 1883 – 1 August 1970), son of physicist Emil Warburg, was a German physiologist, medical doctor, and Nobel laureate. He served as an officer in the elite Uhlan (cavalry regiment) during the First World War ...

's study of iron in the blood. According to Wilshire, the device's magnetic field was supposed to increase the body's absorption of oxygen to free the body from toxic diseases. The belt was marketed as both a health-improving device and a cure for most diseases; including

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

neuritis Neuritis () is inflammation of a nerve or the general inflammation of the peripheral nervous system. Inflammation, and frequently concomitant demyelination, cause impaired transmission of neural signals and leads to aberrant nerve function. Neurit ...

, and

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

. The interior had a thick coil of insulated wire that generated a weak magnetic current. It also had a smaller wire coil with a flashlight globe that would light up when placed close to the thick coil. The exterior of the belt was covered by a thick layer of leather. It was roughly in diameter, and wide enough to fit over the shoulder of a grown adult. It weighed about .

Marketing

Advertisements for the electric belt relied on testimonials published in newspapers and aired on the radio. The AMA investigated these claims, some of which were attributed to well-known physicians, and found that many of the quotations had been falsified. Wilshire and his company marketed the electric device to those most likely to use it, including phone subscribers and power plant customers. Distributors covered certain regions to promote the device by demonstrations and door-to-door sales. In-house sales associates called demonstrators provided both paid and free treatments for potential buyers. Each Ionaco belt cost $3.50 () to manufacture and each belt was sold for $65 (), though it could also be purchased on credit for $5 () a month.

Legacy

In 1928 Philip Ilsey, the former manager of the Iona Company in Cleveland, started marketing an Ionaco clone called the Theronoid. Similar electric belt imitations appeared during this time, and were given names such as the "Ionizer," or the "Restoro". Such imitations continued to be sold on the market even after promoters stopped marketing the Ionaco in the 1940s. Contemporary health experts dismissed the Ionaco and its spin-offs as

. In 1932, the physician

Morris Fishbein Morris Fishbein Doctor of Medicine, M.D. (July 22, 1889 – September 27, 1976) was an American physician and editor of the ''Journal of the American Medical Association'' (''JAMA'') from 1924 to 1950. Ira Rutkow's ''Seeking the Cure: A Hist ...

commented:

Gaylord Wilshire sold these devices for $55 cash or $65 on time payments, and thousands of them were sold by his methods of promotion. Shortly after the development of the device Wilshire himself died of a disease of the kidney in a New York hospital, no doubt without the benefit of his own invention. He was a remarkable charlatan.

Background

History

Design

Marketing

Legacy

See also

References

Further reading