Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-12-07
HUMANE EXECUTIONS.
THE Use of CarbonIc oxsde m n sab,t,sass
for Hanging.

The Use of Csrbonic Oxlsie as q substituxs
for Hanging.
DIR Samuel w Abbott, secretary OF
the Massachusetts State Board OF
Health. contributes 10 the Boston
Medical and Surgical journal an inter-
csting paper relative To substituting
for hanging some better and more
humane method OF inflicting the death
penalty. In the present state OF scien-
tiiic knowledge o. the nature and ef-
fccts upon the human system Of elec-
tricity. DIR. Abbott Is not prepared to
accept II as the best substitute at
hand, saying OF experiments which
have been made: .It would appear
from the results that there are serious
hindranccs to the adoption OF this
subtle agent" Without consider
ing the main question as
To whether some other method
should take the place of hanging. Dr.
Abbott says that, II change is dcsira-
BILE. ''in carbouic oxide We possess
euch an agent. which has the property
OF destroying rapidly and painlassly
when properly administered. He re-
fers To the writings Of Dr. Il. w. Rich
ardson. of London. who. several years
ago, brought this method to public no.
tice for the destruction OF small domes-
tic animals. such rs dogs and cats, and
especially 10 DR.. Richardson's state
ment that !. 900 such animals had been
destroyed Ia London In few months
previous 10 the doctors article ON
1.-The Painless Extinction OF Life" DR.
Abbott says carbonic oxide may be
made from charcoal at small cost
or II may be obtained more
chcaply still from the street mains
of any coal and water company.
Water gus he considers preferable TO
coal gas. since IL contains from four TO
would. therefore. be more rapid and
fatal in its action. He says. IAN at
mosphere OF % 10 80 per cent OF car
b0nic oxide. as In the case of water
gas. or. still better, one OF 80 per cent.
or more. AS may be made from char
coal. would undoubtedly destroy human
life in less than two minutes without
pain" He has himself used mixture
OF about per cent, with air. with
perfect success In destroying small an
imale In from one TO one and one-half
minutes without the appearance OF
pain.
DIR. Abbott goes 10 show that the
apparatus for an execution may be of
the simplest and most inexpensive
kind, and suggests tight wooden box.
three feet square and seven feet high.
tight!y-ftting door. an aperture for
admitting gas pipe OF liberal size for
applying a rapid supply OF gas under
ordinary pressure from the street
mains, and smaller aperture TO al
low OF expulsion OF the air. II a
higher percentage OF carbonic oxide il
desired. small charcoal furnace
would be required for generating II and
storing II temporarily, as in the case
OF DIR. Richardson's lethal chamber.
OF this method DIR Richardson says:
Compared with other methods OF ex-
tinguishing animal life. such as hang
Ing. drowning. poisoning by prussi'
acid. shooting. stunning. the letha
method stands far ahead on ever,
ground Of practical readiness. GER
a tainly humanity" In summing up
, DIR. Abbott claims for carbonic oxid'
: the advantages OF painless death
rapid action and economy. Ia respec
TO the second point. he says: lit
action should not be confoundet
! with the slow action o
!. small perc sntages OF gas. sucl
J as is. illustrated by the Academia
/ deaths often occurring In hotels
|, These almost invariably happen b,
. expo sure TO the gas escaping from
! mere pin-hole or slit In the gas-burn
er, which consequently forms but ont
per cent. Of the air OF the apartment
and destroys life slowly In regart
to economy, he says that the cost o
. the wooden box would be but a tribe
: and the expense OF seyenty-iive or on,
: hundred feet OF gas scarcely wortl
? mentioning when compared with th'
: expensive apparatus required for nj
!, electrical execution. - Boston Tran