The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-06-11

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Dissection Of HIS Body ut jefferson Coll
lege, Observation-Disclosures Facts De-
velopcd Regarding HIS Anatomy-His
Neck Not BrUken-Death Instantaneous
from the sheek 20 HIS Nervous System
by the FsIi-Hanging Robbed OF its
Honors, 10.
OUR PHILADELPHIA CORRESPONDENCE.
PHILADELPHIA, June Q, 1885,
But yesterday the body OF Anton Probst was full Of
life and strength Now Il lies mort adisscct
ing table at jefferson College. DR.. William H. Pancoast
the talented young lecturer At that institution
asssted by his colleague Dr. w. Gross together with
number Of well known surgeons, made this afternoon
post norton examination Of the body, mot" the
lecturer apty observed ITO crafty any feeling Of morbid
curiosity but solely with desire to increase possible
the store Of scientific knowledge" At the hour ap
pointed the large clinical amphhheatre which Is shaped
somewhat like the upper half Of hour glass; the tiers
OF rising row upon row above the operating table
in the CENTRE and widening they ascend
packed with mass Of anxious spectators.
When the body brought in there
little in its outward appearance to indicate TO an
unsclentinc observer that there lay before him
Of clay out OF which the gaows had stmnged life but
the day BEFORE except purple urrow around the neck
marking the position Of the rope This furrow not
continuous was 1t in the same place all around the
throat up where the knot had been tied behind
the ear, and disappeared entirely the carotid
gland SO that the ends Of the furrow did not meet.
Immediately after death there sufuson of blood
the face, projection swelling Of the tongue,
distortion Of the eyes features in fact Of those
horrible accomplishments which commonly sup
posed to be inscparable from such DEATH The eyes
had been extracted for examination under tho micro
scope the cavities were filed with cotton and tho
Ida drayv sad lacfrie tuht M
image of any sort could be discovered on the
retina. This is almost conclusive in refuting the
theory that in the eye OF dead person,
q photograph of the last objects IN life This
theory has been made the nucleus Of several very in
genlOus tales bear the Of practical
investigation An incison in the right side Of the neck
marked where the poles Of the electric battery ap
Piled To these electro prompngs the nervous system
replied for some time-two or three hoursafer life was
extinct Even the smaller muscles Of the iacc such
the eudor taii supeOrs al0quc nas performed their
mouth smiled and grnned while applications to other
OF muscles made the eyes wink the arms rise and
fall the and shut =" n These as
sissois..s y sasasss Of blood; but Ills nss
execution and might have taken place had the subject
died from other The visitor, as he examined
the body, first struck with the absence Of all APP
pcarance Of suffering He saw before him the frams6
OF a strong well conditioned, apparently perfedNy
healthy Mr. Taylor succeeded in taking excellent
casts Of the head and OF that thunbless right hand
which gave important clue TO the detection Of the
criminal These casts were exhibited during the exami-
nation OF the body to-day. The e.browed, repul-
svc anima-ke look Of the face the low forehead and
brutal features which have been made familiar To the
s II he S r. those a
oness features there trace Of suffering physical
or mental. There nothing, far one can judge
from the lineamens OF the dead but complete, unmiti
gated indifference.
The result Of these Investigations will doubtless be
given medical world fitting form than
the prcr0gaives Of scientific experts do harm
70 mention one or two OF the more remarkable results OF
this afternoons post mortem examination. Probst was
killed by simple hanging In the words OF the sentence
he was hung by the neck until he dead. There
no device ADOPTED to kill him 10 any other way before
the jerk and tension Of the rope did its work In France
there famous execuoncr once who used 70 give
70 disocaie his neck Probsts neck broken by
his fall Of about three feet there derange-
the spinal There rupture Of the jug
ular ven carotid artery nothing injured except deli
cate bony and small muscle In Span not long
perhaps they may do so there still unless tho
gsrotte has come into universal use-the erecutoner
pushed the criminal OF ladder and then jumped his
shoulders aud sat down there while the assistant
toner hung the wrctchcd creatures legs. Tins
was done with the intention Of putting him out Of his
| misery. Probsts death caused by his weight
alone and this gives the nyealigatol in his case Pc
callar interest Perhaps he did die from suocation
or apople1y Is might be supposed for there Was no
sunus0n Of blood In the BRAIN In the heart In the
lungs The lecturer seemed TO Incline strongly to the
opinion that he had died from The shock to the nervous
eysiem, chusou suuuon Wcfc the case
death must have been Immediate and almost painless
II this supposton should prove correct death on the
gaows win DO deprived OF half It's terror Probss brain
was In . healthy condition. weighing thirty-six ounces
digestive organs must have been remarkably Good
for his stomach there hardly trace " the break
fast eaten only three hours before DEATH The body
plump aud white where not dscoorcd by sufnsion Of
blood before described When cut down there
foaming ut the mouth, discharge from the
| trils. The upper ip was slightly swollen. Without
going into those revolving details which, though
necessary 20 be witnessed sometimes than
useless 10 describe let here Close for the present.
/ this narrative Of horrors