Dangerous electric currents

This paper discusses lethal electric currents and their accompanying physiological effects, and interprets the data of a previous paper⁴ in accordance with an original method of analysis found useful by the author in his own investigations of let-go currents. The present analysis concerns itself with threshold currents likely to produce instantaneous electrocution in one-half per cent of a large group of normal men. Although the conclusions are derived from tests made on animals, it is believed that the results may be indicative of what might be expected to occur in man. The majority of the work is based on experiments made at 60 cycles with shock durations of 0.03 to 3.0 seconds. Predictions of lethal currents for both direct current and capacitor discharges, while more speculative because of the limited data available, are included because of their importance due to the greatly increased use of direct current and electronic equipment.