Why the Hand-in-Pocket Trick for High Voltages?

[Jules18]

This is a conceptual question and doesn't involve any work so I don't have much in the way of an attempt to answer it myself yet ... The question is:

There's an old admonition between experimenters that you should put your hand in your pocket while working with high voltages. Why is this a good idea?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[LowlyPion]

This is a conceptual question and doesn't involve any work so I don't have much in the way of an attempt to answer it myself yet ... The question is:

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Here is a link that you might find useful:
http://books.google.com/books?id=5z...X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPA264,M1

 

[AEM]

This is a conceptual question and doesn't involve any work so I don't have much in the way of an attempt to answer it myself yet ... The question is:



Any help is greatly appreciated.

The admonition should be worded "one hand put in a pocket". With two hands working with equipment with high voltages you potentially provide a path for current from one hand up the arm and down the other arm to the hand. What major organ of the body lies along that path?