ELECTRICITY, Cause of Death by. As is well known, one of the most impor tant safeguards of the human body against the passage of electrical currents through it is its high degree of resistance. This degree of resistance, however, is subject to a considerable amount of variation. If the skin is dry the re sistance is from 5 to 20 times as great as when the skin is wet. From what is known of the amount of electrical current necessary to cause death in man, it • is probable that 1,600 volts of electromotive force, of a continuous current, is sufficient to bring about this end, and that an alternating current of half this voltage would probably be fatal. In fact, the general deduction has been drawn from the experiments conducted in electrocution work at the Sing Sing prison, that no human body can withstand an alternating current of 1,500 volts, and 300 has produced death, while for the continuous durrent it may be necessary that over 3,000 volts may be required to bring about fatal results. Some of the minor injuries due to lightning and electricity are severe burns, paralysis of some of the muscles, deafness, loss of smell and taste, hysterical phenomena, traumatic neuroses. Oc casionally blindness has resulted, also insanities of the maniacal type have been known to occur, following lightning stroke. As to the cause of death by lightning and electricity, modern re search has shown that there are marked changes in the blood vessels of a hmmorrhagic type, and minute alterations in the nerve cells, but these seem to be secondary to the physiological action that the electrical current has upon the fibres of the heart muscle. The electrical shock brings about a condition of delirium or fibril lary contraction of the heart muscle, causing a stoppage of that organ. This theory of the cause of death at present has the largest num ber of adherents.
As to what can be done for the treatment of electrical shocks, medical science is still somewhat in doubt. For all practical purposes,
death, when it takes place, is instantaneous. The evidence derived from non-fatal cases is of great interest. In these, personal experience has shown that a number of individuals who have been rendered unconscious have recognized in the brief moments of consciousness the ex perience of a strange sensation. Recoveries from the shock of electricity or lightning which have been severe enough to bring about uncon sciousness are very common. As to the border lines which separate the recoverable from the fatal cases it seems difficult to determine. Promptness in the treatment is imperative. Ex ternal heat to the body, artificial respiration and cardiac stimulants should be used simulta neously. It is of importance to remember that the body of a patient in contact with live wires must not be touched by the rescuer with naked hands, but should be dragged away by his clothing, or removed from contact with the earth by slipping a board under him, thus to break the connection with the live wires. Live wires may also be raised by a stick and thus take the body out of the circuit. Artificial respiration (q.v.) by the Sylvester method or by means of the Gibbon's pump should be per formed and the body should be surrounded by hot bottles or bricks, and rubbed, and suitable cardiac stimulants should be utilized. Injec tions of large quantities of hot salt solution into the rectum may be of service and occa sionally it may be necessary to infuse normal salt solution directly into the veins. Efforts at artificial respiration should not be discontinued under from three to six hours. Consult Jelliffe, (Peterson and Haynes Textbook of Legal Medicine and Toxicology.>