The Irish standard., 1889-03-02
AFTER DECAPITATION.

II Il i Ill DIO14 + l. "a l. 1VANs
a French Doctor Makes a Special
Study of the Subject.
Experiments on Number of Dogs Show
That rs Soon as the Head Is Sew
cred from the Trunk Pain
and Suffering Cease.
a very interesting volume has just been
published at Paris IN which DR.. Haul Loye,
ander the title Of ssLa Mort par la Decapita~
yion,'' studies the question as to whether
after decapitation consciousness survives
for short time in the severed head and
physical suffering IS felt in both parts OF
The executed body NJ. Loye deals simply
and solely with the scientific aspect OF the
matter. The present volume is the result
Of years of scientific experiments made
nnder TIE shadow of the guillotine as well
rs in the laboratory.
"Every time a head falls under the
sword or under the executioner's axe" says
Dr.. Loye, s:the imagination of the spectat-
prs has, in the physiognomy Of the victim,
looked for proofs Of the survival OF will and
COZ sciousness. The eyes turned, Which was
4 sign of pain; the lips moved, which
showed that they wanted to speak, the
mouth opened, in order to bite, in kind OF
fury. There is not movement OF the lace
which has not been interpreted as g mark
Of the continuation of feeling. And ever
since the guinotine moved down the heads
Of the multitudes during the reign OF ter
ror, scientists have stood around the seal
fold, bidding all their humane faculties van
+1,1s,S -r7oo1cA yv3+o
on the one question: Does consciousness
remain after the victims head is severed
from the bodyl'"
In order to be able to speak with authority
on this grewso1ne but important subject, DR..
Love has devoted much time to the study OF
decapiSation and it's immediate conse-
guences, Before, however, proceeding to
the study Of Che human victim Of the arm OF
the law. he experimental on & number OF
dogs He says:
s'The instrument which used for sepa-
rating tine head from the trunk is con-
structed after a model of the guillothe.
It is triangular steel knife, surmounted
by hump Of lead weighing about twenty
pounds; it fell from a height Of about three
Yards on the animals neck. 4 !: The
animals head was put into circular open
ing, formed OF two senli-circular boards,
between which it is firmly fixed. The
knife touches the part just in front Of the
opening, and cuts the head entirely OF. Il
Il " The instrument did it's task in less
than half a second In order to make the
knife FALL it was only necessary 20 ler 20
the cord by which it was fastened. Notwith-
standing the fact that & dogs neck was
covered with good deal Of hair, and that
its skin Was very thick, the eut was ab-
solutely smooth.
cat the moment when the head falls tho
mouth is nearly always partly open. a. il
the animal were breathing deeply. The
tongue is pressed against the roof Of thu
mouth or trembles slightly; the eyelids are
closed end show shgts contractions; then
the eyes open and roll in their sockets, up
ward, downward. and to either side--the
pupil IS contracted. AT tho same tins the
Jaws open, then close quickly, and all tbs
facial muscles move in rapid commissions.
The iabial commissioners are violently DIS
placed, the nostrils CULVER, The lips trenlble,
and the ears stand up All these move
ments together make fearful grl1nace, by
which the most intense pain and agony
seem 10 be expressed. This first phase
lasts about ten seconds, after which
period Of repose, lasting about five seconds,
commences. Two minutes after decapita~
ton every part OF the head becomes rigid
and .,adaverous."
Besides these observations which We're
the same on nearly every dog which DR..
Loye iecapitated tor scientific purposes, ho
subjected the heads to other tests. "bus
no Gecapitated dog has ever responded by
any special movements to the restoratlves
applied to its nervous senses, y7heHaer
wAis1led or shouted into its ears, passed
a striking object before it's eyes. irritated
it<, tongue, or tried any thing else. ALI
percepClon OF external impressions had
ceased"
Thus it appears that consciousness Usapr
pears Immediately after decapitaton. The
question now arises whether consciousness
is only suspended, as in a state of syncope,
and can be revived it the head be replaced
In the game physiological conditions in
which it Was before it was separated from
the body. But this is proven to be impossi.
be and thus the conclusion is arrived atthat
a dogs head, at all events, does not under.
&c any more suffering after once the fatal
blow has fallen, and that any movements
are merely muscular.
After the heads the trunks OF t3ecapltated
dogs were subjected to numoer of expert
ments, discussing which DR.. Loye points
the example of the ostriches Of the Roman
Emperor Commodus, who amused himself
by cutting. of with sharped spear-heads the
heads Of the ostriches running the race
round the circus. To every body's astonish-
ment the birds continued to run to tbs end
of the course, while their heads lay at tha
Emperor's feet But although no dog has
been known to perform such feat, tha
trunk is by no means motionless immedi-
ately after death
t'Iu nearly every case the moment after
the knife has fallen the body OF the animal
executes several energetic movements with
the hind legs and tail. Sometimes these
movements are so violent that they throw
the animal cut of the hollow in which it was
laid During one experiment, in which !
was assisted by Messrs. Dastre and Lab
orde, the dogs body jumped right out Of the
hollow and to our greatest stupefaction fell
down at our feet.
"Ealf minute after the head had been
cut OF the four legs and the tail began to
move; often these movements are stronger
i'll the hind legs, and result in stretching the
limbs out to their full extent Then the
muscles Of the trunk are greatly contracted,
and this powerful contraction accounts, no
doubt, FOR the fact OF the animals body
SH3 ASSNAIA