Lethal electric currents

Commercial-frequency currents of a few milliamperes flowing through the body will cause muscular contractions, resulting in the inability of the victim to release his grasp on a live conductor. Values of ``let-go'' current are very important criteria in the establishment of safe-current requirements. Since ventricular fibrillation, a condition in which circulation is arrested, is probably the most common cause of death from electric shock, studies of minimum fibrillating currents under various conditions are also significant. This article discusses investigations of both let-go and fibrillating current and presents some of the experimental data that have been obtained to date.