The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-05

Scal1Olu 10 receive the neauS tnat nau
fallen under the axe. The result of his
investigation was, that he became con-
vinced that the human intelligence re-
mains intact long after decapitation, re-
tanning the force Of the brain without
losing any of the perceptions. Like
Aldini, he demonstrated that the con-
traction of the muscles continues at
least three. quarters of an hour after
death. He has seen human heads, fully
quarter of an hour after separation
from the bodies, close the eyes when eX-
posed to bright light. After having
reopened the eyes, he has assured him
self that these heads were sensible to
the action of stimulants. that the tongue,
hanging out of the mouth and pricked
with needle, is withdrawn rapidly,
and that the features assume the eX-
preston ola painful sensation. He could
prove that the organs OF hearing long
remain susceptible of receiving impress
sions. Twice have | myself seen the
heads of two decapitated persons turn
their eyes to the side from which their
names were called"
The old physician buried his face iii
his hands and wept as he heard these
things.
My talk has frightened you, hasn't
it ?" continued the young man. " Ny
father gave himself up to these terrible
studies in order to combat the theories
of French physician, who was the in
ventOr of the most cruel instrument of
torture-an instrument TO which, by Il
lust retribution, his name is attached,
Il "a, Ia.
The old doctor rose again. this time
almost majesticaily.
Young man. he said softly, but
with an air of authority. 'leave calumny
to the vulgar, and do not accuse good
man upon popular and lying rumors.
Guillotin-this Guillotin, whom you de-
spise. and whom your father hated
Guillotin, whose name is never repeated
without a shudder Of disgust; Guillotin,
whose name will be eternally attached
to an instrument of capital punishment,
deserves neither the hate, the shame, or
the ignominy heaped upon him. Listen
10 me well, for the words ! am about 10
say to YOU deserve to be understood
and believed, once at least, by pure
and loyal heart.
w
occupied in reinstating the ancient pc
nal system, it proclaimed as the funda-
mental principle of its work, the equal
ity of pain for all classes Of citizens, the
personality Of crime, the shame of which
should not rest on the criminals family,
and, finally, the abolition Of all useless
torture and suffering. Guillotin, this
object of eXecratiOn even in Germany:
Guillotin, who had for six years been
pursuing the same studies as your
father, and who-whether from error or
reality-had arrived at results and con-
victions directly oppOsite-this man
proposed the substitution of decapita-
ton in place of the wheel. the rope and
the butchery, by which capital punish
ment had been effected in the past.
Once the head separated from the body,
thought dies, he said to himself, and
with thought all the suffering. The
nervous movements which agitate the
body are purely mechanical, he thought
and cannot produce any sensation
Strong in this conviction. he submitted
his proposal and it was unanimously
adopted. 1t only remained for him to
continue and complete its work-his
philanthropic work since it was intended
to render the last moments Of criminals
less cruel than before. He then suggest
ed, as the surest, speediest and least
painful means of execution, the use Of
machine known in Italy as the n,anaia.
described by Father Labot and invented
centuries ago, as may be proved by an
old picture of the Byzantine school.
This was Guillotin's crime This is how
he deserves the execration that pursues
him! If his whole life was only known
his life, it may be said with Just pride,
which was without spot and without
reproach his life, which is pure before
God and man but alas they only know
how to condemn, calumniate and des-
pise.
"Since you have heard the justiti-
cation Of his misfortune" continued the
old gentleman; g since you no longer
despise him-you do not, do you you
should also learn the history of his whole
life, in order that you may defend him,
and that at least one voice may be raised
in his favor. Born at Saintes, he was at
first a Jesuit in the Irish college at Bor.
deauX, but his life soon appeared mar.
row and sterile to him. He left the con-
vent, and came to Paris to give himself
up to this passionate taste for medical
science, or, rather land speak to you
as | would before God, concealing nei-
Their good nor bad) that which prompted
him to consecrate his life to the study
of medicine was the hope that he might
in this way be Of more service to his
suffering fellows. Important and con-
scientious work drew public attention
to him, and he practiced his honorable
profession, not without success and re-
nown, up to the time that the French
revolution broke out. The bodily ply
stefan had an ambition to become also
the physician ofthe mind, and to associ-
ate himself with the great movement
which, as he hoped, would emancipate
the nation. He set himself at writing,
and published the pamphlet entitled
Petition DIES Habitants Gle Paris ct dies
six Corps 1t demanded that the repre-.
sentation of the tcrS-etat in the Assem-
bly, of the states general should at least
be equal to the two privileged classes
taken together. The pamphlet excited
] Il e Il