The First Martyr to Electricity: The Death of Georg Wilhelm Richmann in St. Petersburg, 1753

• In Event: Death by Misadventure: Reporting and Understanding Accidental Death in the Russian and Soviet Past

Abstract

George Wilhelm Richmond experimented with electricity and failed, but his foray reveals developing concepts for scientific authority and self-experimentation. Because of its early appearance this case is influential in the creation of ideals of behavior and ethical considerations for scientists.

Author

• Matthew P. Romaniello, Weber State U