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A CLINICAL STUDY OF ARTIFICIAL HYPERTHERMIA INDUCED BY HIGH FREQUENCY CURRENTS

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Francis W. Bishop, Charles B. Horton, Stafford L. Warren · 1932

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1932 medical research proved high frequency currents create measurable biological effects, establishing RF bioactivity decades before wireless proliferation.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1932 clinical study examined how high frequency electrical currents could artificially induce fever-like conditions (hyperthermia) in human patients. The research explored using radiofrequency energy as a medical treatment, similar to diathermy procedures. This represents one of the earliest documented investigations into how RF fields interact with human biology at therapeutic levels.

Why This Matters

This Depression-era research reveals that doctors were already experimenting with radiofrequency energy's biological effects nearly a century ago. The fact that physicians could reliably induce hyperthermia using high frequency currents demonstrates the fundamental reality that RF fields have measurable physiological impacts on the human body. What makes this particularly relevant today is the recognition that if RF energy was powerful enough in 1932 to create therapeutic heating effects, we must acknowledge that modern wireless devices operating at similar or higher frequencies can also influence our biology. The science demonstrates that RF bioeffects aren't a modern controversy but an established medical principle dating back decades. While this study focused on intentional therapeutic applications, it underscores why we should take seriously the potential for unintended biological effects from today's ubiquitous wireless technologies.

Figures from the Original Paper

Diagrams extracted from the original research document.

diagramPage 2 - AI-described figure: Fig. 1: This shows the general arrangement of the cabinet and treatment machine with various openings in the upper portion surrounding the box, highlighting built-in electrodes and a bladder.
p. 2 of the original PDF
chartPage 3 - AI-described figure: Fig. 3 illustrates the fluctuations in mouth and rectal temperatures during fever establishment.
p. 3 of the original PDF
chartPage 4 - AI-described figure: Fig. 4 illustrates a patient's response to treatment with high frequency currents, showing changes in temperature, pulse rate, and respiration over time.
p. 4 of the original PDF
chartPage 5 - AI-described figure: Temperature, pulse and respiration curves in a 50-year-old patient with chronic arthritis. Circles represent rectal temperature, dots represent mouth temperature.
p. 5 of the original PDF
graphPage 6 - Figure 8 displays four typical curves illustrating variations in blood pressure over usual ranges during a treatment period.
p. 6 of the original PDF
graphPage 7 - AI-described figure: A graph showing temperature changes over time for a patient during and after treatment.
p. 7 of the original PDF
diagramPage 9 - AI-described figure: Fig. 12 shows the hands of a patient one month after fever treatment, highlighting increased joint mobility.
p. 9 of the original PDF

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 300 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 300 MHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 5 hours

Study Details

To investigate the use of artificial hyperthermia induced by high frequency currents as a therapeutic method for various medical conditions, particularly focusing on its safety and clinical effectiveness.

High frequency currents were passed through the patient's trunk using large block-tin electrodes (28...

One hundred treatments were given to 57 patients from February 1930 to August 1, 1931. Two fatalitie...

Artificial hyperthermia can be carefully and accurately controlled by a standardized procedure within the scope of the average hospital. The whole body temperature can be elevated by passing high frequency currents through the trunk using large block-tin electrodes. Temperature can be maintained at any desired level below 42°C for 5 hours without danger to patients in ordinary physical condition. The method is effective for treating various conditions including syphilis, arthritis, and gonorrheal infections, though careful patient selection is necessary due to risks in patients with poor physical condition.

Cite This Study
Francis W. Bishop, Charles B. Horton, Stafford L. Warren (1932). A CLINICAL STUDY OF ARTIFICIAL HYPERTHERMIA INDUCED BY HIGH FREQUENCY CURRENTS.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_clinical_study_of_artificial_hyperthermia_induced_by_high_frequency_currents_g5816,
  author = {Francis W. Bishop and Charles B. Horton and Stafford L. Warren},
  title = {A CLINICAL STUDY OF ARTIFICIAL HYPERTHERMIA INDUCED BY HIGH FREQUENCY CURRENTS},
  year = {1932},
  
  
}
No DOI on file for this study.

Quick Questions About This Study

Doctors used high frequency electrical currents to artificially induce hyperthermia (fever-like heating) in patients as a therapeutic treatment, similar to modern diathermy procedures that use controlled heating for medical purposes.
This research proves that radiofrequency energy has measurable biological effects on humans, establishing that RF fields can influence body temperature and physiology. This foundational evidence supports concerns about modern wireless device exposure.
It demonstrates that RF bioeffects aren't a recent discovery but were established medical knowledge nearly a century ago. If RF could reliably heat tissue therapeutically then, similar frequencies today can also affect biology.
Clinical fever therapy using high frequency currents proved that RF energy directly interacts with human physiology to create measurable temperature changes, establishing the biological activity of electromagnetic fields in controlled medical settings.
Medical professionals recognized that high frequency currents had powerful enough biological effects to induce therapeutic hyperthermia, indicating early awareness that RF energy could significantly influence human physiology when properly applied.