Electronarcosis, also called electric stunning or electrostunning, is a profound
stupor
Stupor is the lack of critical mental function and a level of consciousness, in which an affected person is almost entirely unresponsive and responds only to intense stimuli such as pain. The word derives from the Latin '' stupor'' ("numbness, inse ...
produced by passing an electric current through the brain. Electronarcosis may be used as a form of
electrotherapy in treating certain mental illnesses in humans,
or may be used to render
livestock unconscious prior to
slaughter.
History
In 1902, Stephen Leduc discovered he could produce a narcotic-like state in animals, and eventually he tried it on himself, where he remained conscious, but unable to move in a dream-like state.
In 1951, an American psychiatrist
Hervey M. Cleckley
Hervey Milton Cleckley (September 7, 1903 – January 28, 1984) was an American psychiatrist and pioneer in the field of psychopathy. His book, ''The Mask of Sanity,'' originally published in 1941 and revised in new editions until the 1980s, ...
published a paper on the results of treating 110 patients having anxiety neuroses with electronarcosis therapy. He argued that patients may benefit from electronarcosis after other treatments have failed.
A 1974 paper discussed the advantage of using electronarcosis for short term general anesthesia. Researchers achieved electronarcosis by applying 180 mA at a frequency of 500 Hertz to the
mastoid part of the temporal bone
The mastoid part of the temporal bone is the posterior (back) part of the temporal bone, one of the bones of the skull. Its rough surface gives attachment to various muscles (via tendons) and it has openings for blood vessels. From its borders, ...
.
Phases
Electronarcosis results in a conditions similar to an
epileptic seizure, with the three phases called ''tonic'', ''clonic'', and ''recovery''.
During the tonic phase the patient or animal collapses and becomes rigid.
During clonic muscles relax and some movement occurs.
During recovery the patient or animal becomes aware.
Livestock
Electronarcosis is one of the
methods used to render animals unconscious before slaughter and unable to feel pain. Electronarcosis may be followed immediately by
electrocution
Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death.
The term "electrocution" was coined ...
or by bleeding.
Modern electronarcosis is typically performed by applying 200
volts of high frequency
alternating current of about 1500
hertz for 3 seconds to the animal's head. High frequency current is alleged to not be felt as an electric shock or cause skeletal muscle contractions. A wet animal will pass a current of over an
ampere
The ampere (, ; symbol: A), often shortened to amp,SI supports only the use of symbols and deprecates the use of abbreviations for units. is the unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI). One ampere is equal to elect ...
. If electronarcosis is not followed by other procedures, the animal will usually recover.
Studies have been used to determine optimal parameters for effective electronarcosis.
See also
*
Electrical stunning
Stunning is the process of rendering animals immobile or unconscious, with or without killing the animal, when or immediately prior to slaughtering them for food.
Rationale
Within the European Union, most animals slaughtered for human consumpt ...
*
Louise G. Rabinovitch Used electricity on patients as an analgesic.
References
Electrotherapy
Neuroscience
Physical psychiatric treatments
Treatment of depression
Analgesics
Animal killing
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