San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-11-09
trrmined to try the experiment on

TRIMMED Ia try the experiment on
hi,ps.li He says:
with the assistance OF two medical
friends ! was partially str ngled IN TIE
following manner: After being placed
in a sitting position in chair, towel
wa passed around my neck and the
.uds twisted together. OF conrse with
very twist OF he towel very forcible
g impression was made on the entire
circumference Of the neck. One OF my
friends was entrusted with the opera
ton OF twisting the towel. while the
other was stationed ID r,r. Of me, in
order that he might watch my face, and
ut the same time make the necessary
tests of the cessation OF sensibility.
"My sensations from the first twist
of the towel may be brieAv stated as
follows: first noticed sensation of
warmth aud tingling, beginning in the
feet and quickly passing over the entire
body; vision partly disappeared, but
there was no appearance of auy cOlored
lights My head felt as if shout to
burst, and there was confuse roar
ing in the ears, such as is heard when
the ear is placed against the opening
of shell. suffered 10 loss of con-
seriousness, and was fully able to tell my
friend whether felt any paiu from the
knife thrusts he was inticting upon my
hand. In one minute and twenty SEQ.
onds from the commencement of the
operation all sensibility was abolished.
After q few minutes rest a second tIial
wrs made in the same manner MS be-
fore. This was followed by symptoms
similar in character TO those mentioned
il the first attempt, except that sensi-
bjlity ceased in ffty.five seconds. A
stab with knie, sufficiently deep to {.
draw blood, was indicative OF no SEN
sation whatever.
"Taking into consideration my own
symptoms and the accounts of these
cfses previously described in this pm.
per, ~ rs obvious that the proper and
ordinary way to execute the law in the
case of person condemned to death
by hanging is not 10 let him fall or to
jerk him into the air, but to stand him
on the ground, or on suitable plat
form, and to adjust the moose carefully
around his neck below the lainyx, If
he is made to fall through ~ trap or is
lifted suddenly from the ground, this
impo yta1t end can never be assured.
The moose is almost certain 10 become
displaced, and hence death is not 30
sudden as it ought to be. Having ar
ranged the Moose properly, the con-
demned person should be raised from
the place on which he is standing, by
pulling on the rope, which should pass
over pulley fixed TO a beam above,
and he should be allowed to hang for
thirty minutes. The rope should be
soft and flexible, so as to lit closely to
the neck. Probably one of cotton or
fax would be preferable to the hempen
cord usually employed. Carried out
in this manner, An execution by hang
ing will be effectually and mercifully
performed. The condemned would
undergo no physical or mental suffer
ing from the moment the suspension
began, and his life would be taken as
speedily and with as. much freedom
from horrible events as the circum
star ces of the case would allow. 1t
would be better with persons weighing
less than 100 pounds to attach u. weight
to the feet SO as to insure sufficient
degree of traction on the cord. 1t is
supposed by many that the dislocation
of the neck produces instant death;
SUCH, however, is by no means certainly
the case. There are instances on
record in which the vertebr@ of the
neck have been dislocated and recovery
has taken place Moreover, even when
death does occur, it is no more instan-
vaneous than when asphyxia is ac-
complished, and there is no greater
freedom from commissions"
Both from theory and from practical
experience of himself and others, Prof.
Hammond is positively sure that from
the Instant suspension takes place there
is no s.nsibility to pain. Hanging, ac-
cording to this, is the easiest mode of
death, and the veritable euthanasia.
Yet. however much the love of science
msy be extended we hardly think that
this mode o. leaving the earth will
ever become popular.