Farador was an electrotherapy device claimed to cure all diseases. Unlike similar battery-powered devices, it was based on the claim that it generated thermoelectricity, although the device had no distinct hot and cold sides; approximately 20-30 mV could be measured between the electrodes. Investigations showed that Farador had no mechanism inside and, like similar fake medical devices, relied largely on the placebo effect. The device’s complex instructions and high-tech appearance were considered factors that strengthened this effect.
Why it matters
The Farador example shows how a device’s technical appearance and complex method of use can create trust in people, rather than its actual operating mechanism. For this reason, the issue is not limited to a fake medical device from the past; it is also relevant to people evaluating products presented with similar claims. The fact that the device offered a measurable electrical difference while containing no distinct temperature difference or mechanism shows that technical terms alone cannot be considered evidence. The question that remains is to what extent these factors, which strengthen the placebo effect, determined users’ decisions and how the complex narrative reinforced the impression of reliability.