Human Power
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
This article discusses human power as the amount of mechanical work performed per unit of time, noting that average human power is significantly lower than that of machines, making human labor less efficient for industrial purposes.
Encyclopedia article (1928–1936)
Human Power, the amount of mechanical work performed by a person per unit of time (for example, in 1 second). According to data from various authors, the average human power is equal to 1/10-1/7 horsepower and when converted to kgm ranges from 7.5 to 11 kgm/sec. During certain periods of professional work, human power becomes significantly higher than the average value and reaches 35-40 kgm/sec., i.e., it exceeds half a horsepower. Work of great power, often called intensive work, requires the heart to have very high productivity (blood volume per minute) and, when performed over a more or less significant period of time, leads to pathological changes in the heart. The small value of average human power (only 1/10-1/7 horsepower) along with a low coefficient of performance and high food cost makes the exploitation of a person as an engine-machine disadvantageous and is one of the reasons for the replacement of humans by machines (mechanization of production processes).
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“Human Power.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/human-power/