Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-16
\ C"py-Tes'e,
GE0. w. CRUMP, ID c.


WM. ROSS, Foreman.
Cory-Tcs'r,
GE0. w. CRUMP, ID c.
From the New York Americana
Office of some Experiments pei 10, med on the botIy
~ Jch" Johns"n who was hung on the = Ap''I,
t'r the murder al James Murray. BY Il Committee
OF The College al Physicians aud Surgeons nf New
York, consisting of Doctor a. II. Stevens, Pro-
lessons Mott and M'Nevin
The deceased wns II stout, athletic man nbout IA
Years nf age. lie suffered to drop about four
feet WAS suspended, about - minutes, and remain
eel IN ms c"ii", with muslin dress over his ordinary
wearing apparel, for h,iT an hour. Afterwards he
"y 10 minutes, between buffalo skins, making in n
one hour and half hetwccn his execution aud his
arrival nj The College.
The tPmperdlure OF the air al the time WIS aboui
ca FuenheiI
Al the commencement Of the experiments The ex-
rrmI"cs were three or four degrees below he natul-
al standard the body not al all So The muscles
were periecy Hcxhle.
The neck was not islocatcd. The face and neck
above The marks of the cord were v,d. The express
7'o" OF The face ~ Other respects natural.
me galvanr BAKERY consisted Of The plates Of Poo
iesa.r G"iscou,, Dr. Smyih Rogers, and D. Green
how, "'""d 10 those Of Professor NJ Ncvip, IN MI
10 pahs ut !! inches square, set III action ~ dilute
miro, aHd snpburC acids The polcs heiug prov ded
"''h iea'en wires armed with paiina wires Al their
extren,i'irs
ENP. ]. The surGern made inciaio.s under tho
''"do aChll's of ether side armed he tcudops
20 which The wac OF tho negative pole Of The battery
was nI'''l;cd the positive pole attached bali,
beng 'n'rodmctd Sto the mouth. The Jaws were
instantly closed, and convulsive movements OF the
whole body imms dately follow ell. They were moi
ke The shak'ngs of an agu", the iTemhlinss OF
lear, bn rather like uccession Of s,ar,inrs from
surprise iie sight made tho spectators shutlier
". by an incis on b. hind the Serao-clpidr mas
oid"ust muscle, D.. Stevens now hid barethe phre-
n'c nerve Of the left side, il passes over tbe
scncnms muscle, and init cduced a blunt probe under
H.. MAJ ,I,. .I,a-,
drr The car'fag" OF the 9Th rib, with view to push
metallic plate against some of the branches Of The
phT"uic ner'e going 30 'Ie diaphragm. Some slight
respiratory movements followed ; but hy no means
so Ratked IS hnse hescrbcd hy Dr.. Ure TIL. re-
su!t winch followed anoiher experiments army COM
pensated for Ihis partial sr"rcss.
III. One of the supra-oi biiary, and onc Of The
extraordinary nerves were now exposed armed and
connected wiih the positive pole, whc the negative
pole communicated with ihe' WIRE connecting the
ienInns ~ the heel, ~ in experiment l.
The cOunientnCt u fist considerably tlie,ori-
eel IT afterwards assumed = more natural play of
expression varying r-ch successive application of
2aivluic lni"enrr. The nations Of The LIPS remind
"a several ol The Spectators Of heir cxpre son dur
inc III. la this exnprimenr The wire connected win
the negative pole lay The rie nra,, scar TIE inscr
non at Inc d'l'uii muscle, aud caused considerable
nation ~ The fore aud fuePrs.
~. Cnmulun cation hciug established between the
h'ach'"l pexus and he ,adial neives at the wrist
Jnd between The fntmcr and ,he ulnar nerves The
a'm acted ny u sudden siasmc,c ac,on
who held hY changing The position of tie arm, il
Vas htown across HE table in different directions.
" The Two 'ad'"i nerves ~ the wrist beng cor
nrc'rh, ne one wih The pOsrivr The oher NIh the
negative pole, both aSd nis were contracted
and ,he deioid and pecoralIs major much
swollen
VI. Ia this experiment the positive pole was ap
piled q" he spinal marrow by means Of metallic ~
s''umcnf, plunged ia between The cervira verieic
the m"garre 10 he heels &c in experiment Isl The
results produced hy ihis arrangement we've ttt e,
IL a 20 +
'ue specimen leeii.made ~ nn earlier period
While the seH.rhiIi' was uodn,inishcd, The tTscts
.rld piuhrhl, have been more marked.
VII. The M CTiur cruli nerves hring now laid
hare, as they oui from benea'h Pouparr's liga-
meni wrre touched with The positive pole the nega
i've hong auplirh as in experiment let. The legs
were drown into sttorg "sihi'ons, aud When prrvi
ously R'~'d were Violently nd Suddenly extended,
peifnrmiag The operation of Kicking.
NJ The suggestion ot Professor Gfiscom, the
r'"ise OF apartments prepared by The committee
Us taficd, md thr wire nf pole applied tp fie
'innl as 10 experiment " and lie other TO y carbe-
'f' introduced into the urethrh. NopHficndr effect
was Tbs rived
VII IN this rxpetrentthe positive pole was ap.
Fl"d g. Tie great sympathetic nerve and the p,t
trguW ~ thr meek, nud The neg,fve WAS hrOughf in
in contact with f!tc hriuches rI these nerves gong
:" The hearf The right nurirlu contracted distinct
Is aud ~ ght frenpinns motions were observed IN
the yenr,'les produced by partial conlracons Of
ilrif muscular liiirps
TX TIE thornz heug now opcu and he heart ox-
F'''H u" 'tc"y experiment oh was repeated, (cpn-
n"cne 1" radial netyeS) md The fssiis of exprrt-
m"ni Bh wetc observed, hnt much more distinrtlt :.
The conu 'cinn~ Of the right auricle we're vcry evi-
deH' Ia il who stood near. Simhnr results we're oh.
tuncd by applying The pole Ia Tho unar nerves IN
p' -rc ofthe rrdrd.
<. Communications heiween he pa vagum -,
he nerk and The ef' pnrence, the tnus on the peri.
'Wdium, p'tfi5i conraciiDrs oG Inc heart we're Oh.
served, bW much less distinct ian IN The two pieced-
ing experiments
~ s'p'ng several oflhr last experiments 10y con.
meeting he p0suIye poles 81 itl the nerves and pass
ing The might've over fbe ls 30 pltcs Of hr battery
tii' results seemed 10 be mech nprc striking parfi.
rn+rN when "e consider fhat tl,e organic scnslbry
htd Joy l!s time been mUrh avhau.fcdt
thr l'ctcale were observed, upon inspecting he.
'ricstnrs 20 We beautifully nircfed and part NJ the
iutcsi'ues wrh their mrseotery were DETACHED and
passed r0u1d the roOBi, tint mary saw thai which
Sc rarely have ~ opportunity of observing, the
hciolls ni q h0nuu subject disiended wth rsye.&
THIS account Of these experiments details merely
NY petsouai nhservaors laf ~ goes IL Is cor.
reel, uOpet nity uot base arranged them all B f,o