Free Murder and Mayhem by D. P. Lyle

and the amperes range from 2,000 to 3,000. Quite a jolt. Fortunately, the current is very brief, averaging from 1 to 100 milliseconds (thousandths of a second).
    The injuries that result are primarily due to the massive electrical current and the body's conversion of the electrical energy to heat. The electrical shock can literally stop the heart or cause dangerous and deadly changes in heart rhythm. The heat can burn and char the skin, scorch the clothing, and fuse or melt metal objects in the victim's pockets, buttons on his shirt, belt buckles, and fillings in his teeth.
    All the tissues of the body are susceptible to injury. The skin may be charred and even display entry and exit burns. The heart muscle may be damaged and scarred. The liver, kidneys, bone marrow, and muscles may suffer permanent injuries. The brain and spinal cord may be damaged, and residual weakness in an arm or leg is not uncommon. Loss of memory and psychiatric difficulties may follow.
    One interesting sign of lightning strikes that rarely occurs are Lichtenberg Figures (Figure 6), which were first described by German physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in 1777. This is a painless red fernlike or arboresque pattern over the back, shoulders, buttocks, or legs. It tends to fade over a couple of days, leaving behind no scars or discolorations. It is uncommon but fascinating.
    Treatment depends on the severity of the injuries. The first order of business is to reestablish breathing and heart rhythm if either or both are absent. Steroids are given to lessen swelling and inflammation in the body's organs. Burns are treated in the usual fashion with cleaning and dressing as indicated. Blood tests would assess the degree of liver, kidney, and muscle damage. When muscles are injured in this fashion, the muscle cells may die or rupture. If so, they release their internal myoglobin and other proteins into the bloodstream. These proteins can severely damage the kidneys because the kidneys attempt to filter them from the blood. Flush-
    ing the kidneys with a large amount of IV fluids may prevent kidney failure.
    Recovery can be complete, with no residual problems, or the victim may have permanent liver, kidney, cardiac, psychiatric, or neurologic problems. Luck and rapid, effective treatment are important here.
    Can a Person Stranded at Sea Survive by Drinking His Own Urine?
    Q: If someone was stranded in the desert or on a life raft in the open sea, could he survive by drinking his own urine. Is it dangerous or toxic? Or is it okay?
    A: Any port in a storm, so to speak.
    Yes, this would help—at first. Urine is simply water with impurities that have been filtered from the blood by the kidneys. In the type of exposure you describe, dehydration is the major problem. Any source of water would be beneficial. However, the concentration of impurities in the urine would increase as dehydration progressed, and very quickly the urine would supply more toxins than water. Drinking it would then be counterproductive.
    In reality by the time a person considered drinking his own urine, he would already be severely dehydrated, his urine would be very concentrated, and consuming it would be of little benefit.
    DOCTORS, HOSPITALS, AND PARAMEDICAL PERSONNEL
    Can X-Ray Films Be Copied?
    Q: Can an X ray be photocopied or otherwise duplicated?
    A: Yes. X rays are often copied by use of a special copier designed for this purpose. Most hospital radiology departments have such capability, and it takes only a few minutes. Also, nowadays many hospitals acquire and store the images in a digital format. These can be duplicated, printed, altered, e-mailed, and all the other things one can do with digital data.
    How Do Doctors Handle Emergencies and Concussions?
    Q: In an emergent medical situation, what initial questions might a doctor ask? And if he suspects the person might have sustained a concussion or a more serious head injury, what specific questions might he ask?
    A: The initial