The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-11-11
SCIENTIFIC HANGING.
1Scientific Americana

SCIENTIFIC HANGING.
CScientific Americana
DIR. g. M. Hammond, of this city, in
arecent communication to the Medical
Record, on the proper method Of exc
cutting the sentence of death by hanging,
cites a number of authorities and cases,
all going to show that the practice of
jerking the body by the neck with a
view to dislocaticn, is wrong, useless
and barbarous. He says:
In hanging, death takes place either
by asphyxia or apoplexy, or both.
AS Taylor remarks, if the cord is loose
or applied too high up on the neck, a
small quantity of air may still reach
the lungs, and life will be prolonged
till the slower death by apoplexy takes
place. The main object OF the exc
cutioner should be to adjust tho moose
In such manner as to close the wind
pipe at once, so rs to produce imme-
diate asphyxia. Usually, both apo
plexy and asphyxia result if the exc
cution is properly accomplished.
According to ReIner, OF 80 cases OF
death by hanging, were by apoplexy,
by asphyxfa, and in 6s both conditions
existed. OF s5 cases collected by
Caspar, in 8 there was apoplexy, in ii
asphyxfa, and in G. both conditions.
Ny own experience was somewhat
similar to that obtained by other OBJ
servers, except in the fact that strang
ulation was not carried TO that point at
which respiration ceases entirely. My
object was moro particularly to de-
monstrate the painleasness of the ope-
ration than to show the existence of
any new sensations. With the assis-
tance of two medical friends, was
snn ck~ ~rrvA RI S,, IN fol-
manner: After being placed in q sitting
position in a chair, towel was passed
around my neck and the ends twisted
together. OF course with every twist
of the towel very forcible compression
was made on the entire circumference
of the neck. One of my friends was
intrusted with the operation of twisting
the towel, while the other was stationed
in front of me in order that he might
watch my face, and at the same time
make the nece ssary tests of the cessation
of sensibility.
My sensations from tho first twist of
of the towel may be briefly stated as
follows: 1 first noticed sensation of
warmth and tingling, beginning in the
feet and quickly passing over the entire
body; vision partially disappeared,
but there was no appearance of any
colored lights. My head felt as if about
to burst, and there was a confused
roaring in the ears, such as is heard
when the ear is placed against the
opening of a shell. suffered no loose
of consciousness, and was fully able
to tell my friend whether felt any
pain from the knife thrusts he was
infiicting upon my hand. In one
minute and twenty seconds from the
commencement of the operation all
sensibility was abolished. After few
minutes rest, second trial was made
in the same manner as before. This
was followed by symptoms similar in
character to those mentioned in the
first attempt, except that sensibility
ceased in fifty-five seconds. A stab
with a knife sufficiently deep to draw
blood was Indicative of no sensation
whatever.
Taking into consideration my own
symptoms, and g accounts of those
cases previously described in this paper
it is obvious that the proper and order
~ way to execute the law in the case
of a person condemned to death by
hanging, is not to lot him fall or to
jerk him into the air, but to stand him
on the ground, or on n suitable plat
form, and to adjust the moose carefully
around his neck below the larynX. If
Ho 10 InAOo ~ AilAl thTOusu u tI;tp III Is
lifted suddenly from the ground, this
important end can never be assured.
The moose is almost certain to become
displaced, and hence death is not SO
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 q pulley fixed to 4 beam
above, and he should be allowed to
hang for thirty minu'es. The rope
should be soft and flexible, so as to fit
closely to the neck. Probably ono of
cotton or flax would be preferable to
the hempen cord usually employed.
Carried out in this manner, an exc
cution by hanging will be ciIectually
and mercifully performed. The con-
demned would undergo no physical or
mental suffering from the moment the
suspension bcG an, and his life would
be taken as speedilyaud with 8 much
freedom from horrible events IS the
circumstances of the ccse would allow.
1t would be better with persons weigh
ing under one hundred and fifty pounds
to attach weight to the feet, so IS to
insure sufficient degree of traction on