19TH CENTURY PHYSICAL THERAPY MACHINE

BACK STRENGTHENING MACHINE 1890
A well-dressed Victorian lady demonstrates a late 19th century Back Strengthener and Abdominal Stretch Machine, invented by a Swiss physician.
She’s wearing two straps: one around her shoulder, and the other around her waist. The straps activate the cylindrical weight located at the bottom of the machine.
To prevent falling forward, there is a rectangular plate to lean against, shown as positioned above the knee in this photograph.
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