Experiments at 10 kHz indicate that the let-go current is approximately 3 times the 60 Hz value. For non-sinusoidal waveforms, the peak value seems to be the critical factor in muscular stimulation. Nature of Bodily Damage. As far as gross electrical effects are concerned, the body can be represented by the equivalent circuit shown in the figure below. It is generally believed that the effects of electric shock are due to the current flowing through the body.
Electrical burns are a result of heating the skin.
The immediate formation of blisters at the point of contact causes the skin to lose its protective resistance and more serious damage may thus occur. Burns of this nature penetrate quite deeply and, while they seldom become infected, heal very slowly. Electrical current is most dangerous when vital organs are in its path through the body. Current may cause stoppage of breathing due to excessive contraction of the chest muscles. Temporary paralysis of respiration may also occur if the current produces a block in the nervous system that prevents signals from reaching the lungs.