J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 53(12): 945-956, 1953
Original article
EXPERIMENTS ON LOCAL DISTURBANCES DUE TO ELECTRIC INJURIES
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The Surgical Dept., Keiogijuku University Medical School (Director: Prof. N. Shimada) Keiji YODA |
I report here a part of the findings in my animal experimentation on the deeper structural injuries by passing the electric current through the deeper soft tissue.
I wrapped the left thigh and foot of adult rabbit with gauze wet with10% NSS., to prevent sparks, and around which I placed the terminal plates, and passed alternating current at 300 volts.
Items of my experiment are:
1. Periodic variation of amperage.
2. Reactions of the body by passing of electric current.
a. Swelling and atrophy of the lower extremity after the current.
b. Motor disturbances and development of necrosis after the current.
c. Variation of local skin temperature.
d. Secondary necrosis due to circulatory disturbance.
3. Histologic study,
Summarising the foregoing experimental observations, I found that there appear permanent motor disturbances and necrosis above a certain threshold of the amount of current passed, as we offen experience clinically.
And these changes have certain covelation with the local skin temperature change, though not so obvious as in the case of the amount of current.
It is therefore inferred that not only heat but a specific action by the electric current, especially secondory, necrosis due to circulatory disturbance.
Swelling and deeper soft tissue changes do not parallel each other.
Moreover, the sites of atrophy, as seen morphologically, correspond to the areas of greatest electrical density. It was revealed that there may be marked changes in the deeper tissues even in the absence of any change on the surface.
These findings point to a relation between the degree of local disturbances and the constitutional disturbances.
(author's abstract)
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