The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-15
AFTER DECipIThTIOS.
An Extremely Interesting Question That
May Never he Answered.

From II, San frnn-sc, 1h',nir'e.
The question of the duration OF conscious
ness in the brain Of criminals after execution
| by hanging or by the guillotino is being dis
cussed with greater interest than ever since
Anastny. the murderer Of baroness DHilard.
markab BILE criminal scnt to his brother letter
| on tho subject. rs follows:
The separation Of my body and that which eons,
Pushed bsmsvs there is survival Of about hour
Come then Leon be present at my sxsem,,o ana ian,
voice aud MY eyes viii reply to you.
This is but the repetition OF q popular belief
that has prevailed for centuries. There is n
legend Of state execution in England Mt an
epoch when tho, axe and block were in use;
which sets forth that after tho instrument had
exeam f sioa SaSe missed nS ~ t"%hch
the cNecutioner replied with q slight Kick
that sent the head rolling to distance; !, tn II e
! worthy of discussion. It's truth or falsty would
| depend on the possibility o: the instruments
| tho veins would not be displaced. in which
case the circulation OF the blood might con-
seriousness might continue for nome Mt after
the vertebr;r OF the neck was severed. This
utter ute oi'sse is .g %
or. the breaking Of the neck. In any event.
| the faces Of the guillotined for few seconds
after the fatal stroke. or who have made ex.
| pcriments with decapitated animals. do not
Several French physicians; and among them
Dr. nan LSye now deceased but "nne Er%iG
dogs. using for their hanging, or decnpitation
machinery like that employed in public excel
being able to reproduce the movements
human sub1cet i Persons s0 whom % tits treat
ment Of dumb animals might rSyolt. are
ess Snn in SINCE
methods OF execution are generally recognized
AS producing the least pain; The Gui . ,
France. 1t cons sted Of triangular knife. Or
over twenty pounds. and falling, over SIX feet
upon the neck Of the animal: which was SOW
ssa at the third IsSsn bo Te
other French and by foreign snvnnts whose
experiments have been less elaborate.
At the moment the head was detached from
the body the mouth opened wide, ns II the ami
h"a ton ' Tie t"nsne vas applieH to tho
b "Ts' aie Of fe The eysas WerS
closed with light contract3 ;I Then ths
and tor to bottom the pupils in tie I mean time
gradually contracting. Al the same time tho
jlnnws were opened md violently closed c; and
followed by changes at the corners OF the
mouth. vibration q the nostrils. trembling OF
lie Of these movements Constituted a series Of
horrible grimaces like, those seen on the FAC"
Of the Guillotined. and seemed to express tho
was touched the eycliis closed. but il an oh.
lect. no matter of what kind. WAS placed before
CRYING nor whistling into the ears II the dog
appear TO cause tho slightest sensation The
Ing Of that organ. Although tho pupil OF tho
ego was CONTRACTED. the approach of light
rendered mo oritce still sma Ter.
Those phenomena occupy about ten seconds.
and are followed ~ II period -! rcpoSc cont nm
ing to TIE ilfteenth or twentieth SECOND, dur
eyes onen and without movement At tho
END Gt TINS time the mouth opens ard closes
arns this time, although the "T rritatio f"t Of
the. ,cornea has caused "a slight winking.
neither whistliag In the ear nor touching 10
ing and closing Of the nouth resemble yawm
which tho motions gradually ccasc. Then tho
,H Loses Lose, its sensihillty to tho touch.
nyni h "a s nate hhavmE raP az ~"
dilates at the approach Of light. but does not
contract md tho Sornea loses It's Eli,t"n,nG
ynWnlng and other phenom"a have ceased;
Enc In %re eonrast2n I tho hbreT and
No .eNImrimenter has been able to decide
whether tho movements specified Were invo!,
t%s w s'sn Ss ay with rsS"a ti' t
movements, to Theses efror,s to excite his
Al # 81 a
capitatior.. ms far as the observers have been
able to determine. and tn" movements have
come. or appeared to come. from tho rro-
longed activity OF tho nervous centres: Dr.
Ioye obtained precisely tho same mnnfesta-
state OF complete anTsthosia. There seems:
then. no reason to believe that any sort o.
consciousness connected with the action of
the will exists in the head Of tn" person who
has been Guillotined. beheaded with tho axe.
the prejudice or the superstition to continue
and have its effect an certain minds for LONG
ages to come.