Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-24

mission and Of the society. The commits
sion hiss done nothing since the law was
passed to provide method for applying
electricity to the criminal. The society
has done great deal, and 1t is expected
that the suggestion Of the Medico. Legal
Society will be reported by the commits
sion Is the approved method for use in
the state.
When the law WAS passed declaring for
electricity 50 the Egent of the future, the
society named another committee to
specially investigate electricity and re-.
port the best method of its application
On this committee were Dr.. Frank Peter
son, chairman; Prof. R. Ogden Doremus,
DR.. Frank Il Ingram and DR.. J. NJ.
BleVer. 1t reported last light.
The experiments were msde largely
upon dogs DR.. Peterson conducted
many Of them 10 g private laboratory.
Others we're conducted il New jersey
and ct G 0lumbia College. Three methods
of 6ppEc were pro posed By outsiders.
One WAS the passing Of electricity from
wrist TO wrist through the body; Sn other
was the passage OF the current from the
head By mesns Of metallic bsnd fastened
10 the forehead and to one Of the wrists;
By the third method metal esp wss to
DC placed on the criminals head and his
feet to rest up IN metal plate.
The committee r. scted all three on the
ground that large electrode currents
would be apt to produce commissions
Near by points were better and less
dangerous to the operator. Suppose,
they srgusd, that the wrist system were
adopted, and the criminal should move
his arm st the moment the current was
turned on and strike the operator. Tee
operator might also lose his life, IL st the
moment he hsp2ered to be touching the
sHitch-key. Disagreement could also be
entirely avoided by using small elecz
trodes.
All nerves psss through the neck. The
first method proposed WAS to plsce the
positive electrode sgainst the spinal
column at the back OF the brain, and
divide the negative into two arms, one to
be placed on either side Of the throat In
front, directly opposite the point where
the positive electrode touched the spinal
cord. The objection to this WAS thRt the
strorg current might dissrrsnge the soft
tissues Of the neck, and furthermore
would bring the two poles CT the power
full current dangerously close together.
The ton OF the head WAS mex. consid-
cred, and the distance between
that sad the back between the
shoulders declared sufficient to
avert the lesst danger from the current
to these operating it. This plan suited
all the committee, and experiments upon
dogs proved II satisfactory.
A leather rest holds the criminals head
aud bands scross his forehead and isca
keep him from moving. A metal bar
tipped with e ball for an electrode,
is fitted to the top OF his head. Another
similar bsr and bsll touch his bEred
back between the shoulders and over
the spinal cord. Tue electrode which
touches his head is connected with the
positive pole OF the current. The one on
his back is connected with the negative
pole. When the poles ore )ined the cur.
rent will psss down~aru through the |
head and 60 out through thu pole at the |
blck. f ectric currents dif1usa them- |
selves as broadly as the conductor will |
permit. The currents, therefore, almost
completely fill the head and neck, swell.
ing pear shaped and taperirg sgaIn enter
the negative pole, This swelling Of the
cusEent VIII sus every point Of vi.al eAer>