Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-09-13
BEING DECAPTTATED.
kN INTERESTING QUESTION THAT
MAY NEVER CT ANSWERED.


vace After Dccapitation Invoiuntar,
or Arc They httended with Some Slight
Action Of ti,t win-some Experiments.
The question Of the duration Of con
robustness in the brain Of criminals after
execution by hanging or by tho guillo
tine is being discussed with greater IN
tcrest than ever since Anastay, the muir
derer Of Baroness Dollard, paid his debt
20 society. It is said that this remarha-
bic criminal sent to his brother a letter |
on the subject as follows;
The separation Of my body and that which |
constitutes my thinking being cannot so soou
be accomplished. believe there Is O. survive, /
n about an hour. Come then, Icon. be pres
ent at my execution aud insist that my head
b. rivon 20 you. Can mo with your voice nnc
my eyes win reply TO YOU.
This is but the repetition Of popular
belief that has prevailed for centuries.
There is legend Of a state execution In
England at an epoch when the ak and
block were IN use, which sets forth that
after the instrument had fallen the per
son whose head was on the block ex-
claimed, "You have missed mel" tc
which the oxecutioner replied with
slight kick that sent the head rolling 10
a distance. The story never gained muck
credence, but is still worthy of discus.
sion. It's truth or falEty would depend
on the possibility Of the instrument
being so thin and sharp that the walls
Of the veins would not be displaced. in
which case the circulation Of the blood
might continue for q few seconds, and
whether consciousness might continue
for a moment after the vertebrn Of tho
neck was severed. This last difficulty
would be the greatest, since utter un-
consciousness is supposed TO be stimuli
tancous with the sevCring of the spinal
cord or the breaking Of the neck. In
any event, scientists who have taken the
trouble to study the faces of the guillo-
tined for few seconds after tho fatal
stroke. OF who have made experiments
with decapitated animals, do not favor
the theory.
Several French physicians, and among
them DR.. Paul Loye, now deceased but
once a professor at the Sorbonno, have
experimental with dogs, using for their
hanging or decapitation machinery like
that employed in public executions
The dog was chosen for the ex-
periments as having the most mo-
| bile faco and being able 70 repro-
duce the movements which in rare
cases have been observed in human
subjects. Persons whom this treatment
OF dumb animals mightrevolt are begged
to remember that the suffering is much
less than in vivisection, since these
methods Of execution are generally rec
ognized as producing the least pain.
The guillotine employed by DR.. Loyc
was eimilar TO that used for the eKocu-
ton Of ordinary criminals in France. II
consisted of a triangular knife or ak,
surmounted by mass of lead weighing
over twenty pounds and falling over
six feet upon the neck of the animal
which was severed at the third vorte
bra. The phenomena observed wer,
similar to those remarked by othcl
French and by foreign savants who's,
experiments have been less elaborate.
At tho moment the head was detached
from tho body the mouth opened wide
as if the animal was making an extraor
binary effort at inhalation. The tongu,
was applied TO tho lower part Of tn,
mouth and underwent a brief period Of
agitation. The eyelids were closed witt
light contractiopR Then tho eyes ver.
opened and rolled from side To sido ant
top to bottom. the pupils in the mean
time gradually contracting. At The
same time the jaws We're opened an,
violently closed, and tho face was rapid
, | " convulsed. This was followed b,
changes at the corners Of the mouth. vi
: bration Of the nostrils, trembling Of Tn
p lips and erection of the ears The en-
5 semble Of these movements constitute,
o series Of horrible grimace5 like thos
seon on the face Of the guillotinod, an,
, seemed TO express the most intense az
} ony. If the cornea Of the eye wa
touched the eyolids closed, but if an OBJ
, icct; no matter of what kind, was places
! before the eye there was no movement
Neither did crying nor whistling int
the ears of the dog appear TO cause tn
slightest sensation. The pinchins O
/ the tongue caused o slight shrinking q
that organ. Although the pupil of tn
8 eye was contracted, the approach of
5 light rendered the oriicc still smaller.
S These phenomena occupy about tc
seconds, and arc followed by period G
r repose continuing TO tho fifteenth O
D twentieth second, during which Oh
{ mouth rests closed and tho eyes ope
and without movement At the end d
. this time the mouth opens and Close
! quickly, the nostrils dilate and contrac
o During this time, although the irritaio
Q Of tho cornoa has caused a slight winl
ing, neither whistling in the ear nc
3 touching the tongue or nostrils with an
h monia or cologne has been able TO pr
= duce any effect. The opening and clio
ing Of the mouth resemble yawnin.
and are reproduced q dozen times, afts
which the motions gradually ccas
v Then the cornea loses its sensibility
r the touch, though, half a minute havin
s elapsed, the yawning is still active m
l. pupil Of the eye dilates ut the approac
j. VI light. but does not contract. and Il
c oornea loses its glistening appearance
@ At the end Of two minutes the yawnin
c and other phenomena have ceased, onl
d ing in nero contraction of the fiber