The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-02
Electricity Deadens Brain
Before Sensation Reaches
1t In Its Mad Race.

Is eiectroCutlon humane Can we
be certain that death in the electric
chair is the painless process its advo-
Gates claim?
It is the generally accepted view that
no easier method of putting criminal
to death could be found than by the
means offered by electricity. Yet it is
sesiously to be doubted whether the
man tortured by Choctaws at the stake
suffers less than he who is forced to sit
in the electric chair. 1t is possible
that. compared to the refined sufferings
Of the latter experience, torture at the
stake may be like lying on bed of
roses.
The man of the 18th century is too
much inclined to regard every innova-
ton as an Improvement He flatters
himself that in all things his methods
are superior to those of his father and
grandfather. So in matters. of CAPT
tai puniehment, he complacently looks
back upon the barbarous beheadings,
hayings alive, hanging in chains and
other punishments of centuries ago,
and with snug eontentment reflects on
the superiority Of modern methods.
But modern science fails to support this
opinion with such force and positive
ness that the question can be decided
offhand.
It is doubtful if any more humane
method of execution has ever been
found that the system Of beheading by
means of the guAlotine as practiced by
the French. And it is to be questioned
if 1t pains a man less to send cur
rent of several hundred volts Of cleo
tricity into his system than 1t does to
pierce his body with small amount OF
steel or lead.
Electricity may be painless, but until
some victim of electrocuti0n is raised
from the dead, it will be impossible to
determine that such is the case to
certainty. All that can be done is to
consider the question scientifically and
examine the probabilities.
It is easy to say, in speaking Of an
electrocution, ut is all over in an in
slant. He never knew what struck
him" But any such statements dis
regard the volumes Of pain and suffer
ing that can be crowded into one in
slant. Admitting that the agony is
brief, it may be terrible while it lasts.
1t must be remembered, besides, that
all time is relative. There are seconds
which appear hours, minutes which ap-
pear centuries. 1t is a common eXDe-
rience for a sleeper to wake from
dream that has apparently lasted hours
to find that he has been mapping but
a few minutes.
The story is told that while the Bas-
tile was being besieEed by the Partisan
populace, one Of the prisoners inside
had dream in which he saw a pro-
cession of all the kings and heroes of
ancient and medieval France pass by
his cell. Each figure appeared to oc-
cupy several minutes in passing. But
the whole vision in reality occupied
only the time between the breaking
down of the outer and inner doors OF
the prison, an interval Of but a few
minutes.
This tendency to magnify small pc
RODS of time is especially common
when the brain and nervous system
are subjected to some powerful shock
or stimulant. The hashaesh eater loses
absolutely all correct sense Of distance
or time. While under the influence Of
the drug aeons of time appear to roll
away The same thing is more or less
observable in the case Of other slim
ulants. Much of interest can be writ
ten concerning the relativeness Of time.
The naturalist pities the moths and
butterflies which live but for q. day.
But the psychologist answers that
there may be some compromising off
set in the insects nature which makes
its life appear as long to 1t as mans
does to man.
The effect of severe shock on
mans nervous system is illustrated by
the familiar instance of the drowning
man, who in few brief moments goes
over in his mind the entire past life
Enough has been said to show that
though the electric current may re-
quire but the minutest fraction of
second before unconsciousness results.
vet in that fraction of time may be
condensed suffering unspeakable.
Jastrow, in his recent work, THE
Time Relations Of Mental Phenomena"
nF
for an electric shock sensation to reach
the brain as .175 Of a second where the
shock is felt on the foot, ard .139 where
it Is felt on the hand
Now in the case Of an electrocutinn,
one electrode is applied to the head ana
another in The calf of the leg The
length of time for the sensation TO
pass from the electrode applied to the
head to the brain is probablysless than
one-tenth of a second. But the circuit
would not be closed until the current
from the foot electrode passes up 10 TIE
brain along the spinal cord.
The question as to the palnleSSnesS
OF electrocution during the brief frac-
ton of a second before unconsciousness
results, resolves itself therefore into
race between pain and electricity as to
which can travel faster. 1t is on this
point that the scientists differ. Prof.
Biederbauer of Munich, Germany, in
dauer," holds that the spinal cord IS
poor conductor of electricity. But II
Is, he says, especially designed by ma
ture as conductor for nerve sensa-
tions. He quotes figures to show that
electricity can traverse the spinal cord
the faster
Prof. Edmund c. Sanford of Clark
University thinks differently. Pain
travels much slower than any other
sensation" he says. This is illustrated
by the fact that when a man in walking
stubs his toe, the sensation of contact
is felt before the sensation of pain.
Admitting that some sensation is felt
in electrocution, I do not think the
sensation of pain has time TO make
Itself felt before unconsciousness sets
in. This is just my opinion. There
are no scientific data on which to base
a conclusion. My personal opinion is
that electrocution is painless"
Leaving aside ali theoretical discus
sion of the matter, what has been the
experience of those who have uneX-
pectedly received severe electric shocks
As a general thing they affirm that at
the time of the shock they felt no seri-
Gus pain. It was only afterward and
IN consequence CT burns that they felt
discomfort.
William H. Coushlin, superintendent
Of the Worcester Electric Light Com
pany, once bad the misfortune to re-
u ceive saock OF 500 or 500 volts. "All
\, felt" he says, describing the expert
e ence, was a contraction under the
/ arm pits. I felt as II I was lifted Up into
the air.
These instances would appear to,