A hundred years ago this month, the June 1918 issue of Electrical Experimenter carried these hints on how to avoid electric shocks. They’re all still good advice these days, but they were even more important then, since there was no effort made to polarize electric receptacles.  At the time, they were intended for light bulbs, but people were plugging all kinds of useful devices into them.  Thus, there was a 50/50 chance that any exposed conductors were “hot.”

The specific advice given in these illustrations was:

• Don’t touch water spigot and electric socket at same time.
• Never touch electric wires or fittings when in bath tub.
• Don’t touch radiator and electric fan.
• Don’t stand on heating register when extinguishing electric fires.
• Leave fallen wires alone–they may be “alive”.
• Don’t use telephone during thunderstorms.
• Keep away from radiators when using electric curling irons.
• Boys: don’t throw wires over trolley lines.
• 3rd Rail!
• Don’t stand on ground and touch “live” electrical switches.
• Don’t stand on ground and touch “live” circuits or apparatus.
• Don’t touch brass nozzle in fighting fires.

To these tips we will add that girls shouldn’t throw wires over trolley lines, either.