🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <19970504.170037.37@quantumsoft.co.uk>, stuart@quantumsoft.co.uk
(Stuart Halliday) wrote:
> 
> In article <zH0uRDAGXiazUAzh@neptunegroup.demon.co.uk>,
>           stuartp@neptunegroup.demon.co.uk (Stuart Poulton) wrote:
> 
> 
> > This still allows the static build up from your good old nylon carpet,
> > to flow to earth and not flow through your nice cheap StrongArm chip
> > 
> > Remember folks that its the Current that kills you NOT the voltage !!
> 
> Yes and a current of 20mA is all that is required to kill (especially if
> the person is old or ill) with as low as 0.1mA (0.0001A) required to
> 'feel'
> a shock. 

  I think that we're sliding steadily away from the thread topic, but it's
very interesting (to me anyway).

  Hands up, anyone who's heard of "cardioversion".  Just as I thought!

  Well, it's a heart operation rather like ECT (electro convulsive therapy
of "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" fame, but the shock is applied
across the chest :-((

The doctors don't think in terms of voltages, but merely shock energy,
expressed in Joules, which is I believe discharged in 30 millisecs.

The standard starting shock is 100 joules, and they are prepared to go 
up to 360 joules.  You can get burn marks on the chest!!

Scary, huh?  Well, it works, despite what I imagine to be a rather
heavy current.  I'm still here to tell the tale, and am /much/ better 
for it!

Which of you electrical or electronic engineeers can explain it to me?

Just curious, you know.

Have just realised, this should be in ZFC, or course.  Sorry.


-- 
Robin Edwards            Serious Statistical Software
               REAL Statistics with Graphics for RISC OS machines
           Try  http://www.serious-stats.co.uk  and see for yourself.