The Eddy current., 1899-03-11
BEHEADED MAY LIVE.
CoMBATs THEORY or INsTAN-
TANEoUs DEATH.
proof That ~ Takes Hours for Severed
Head TO Lose Consoiousness-D Does
the Brain Die At Onoog Dr. Canili
ON the subject. o

From the New York Telegram, In
his paper Instant Death by Decaplta-
tlon an lmpossibility. According 20
Biological Analysis" read AT the an-
nual meeting held In the Waldorf-As-
torla, Dr. J. Mount Bleyer, ab the
father Of eloctrocdtlon In this coun-
try" used for his subject the problem
OF DR.. Canill OF Paris. Does the stroke
Of th, GGlllotlne Cause Instant
Death?"
This revelation" rald DR.. Bleyer,
has caused me TO carry out a few ex-
perlments from which formulated q
most plausible theory. In my opinion,
from all the facts gathered. and my
assistant. Or. Henry y. Waite, con
cluded that what Is to follow In this
paper will be received as n most ra-
tlonnl explanation 10 the thinker why
such an instantaneous death Is an inn
possibility" Continuing. Dr. Bleyer
said In part: "Dr. Canlll. who evident
ly must be q keen observer. has
brought to our notice that absolute
death does not follow gulllotlning for
several hours on account OF the fact
that the brain finds nourishment gor
an hour after decapitation. Also. dur
ing this time, the head OF the victim
retains the sense OF feeling, hearing.
smell aud sight Dr. Canlll lays much
stress upon point In connection with
the blood supply TO tho brain long af-
ter the head has fallen into the basket.
Conscience "a a most complex phenom-
ena. and consciousness is a broad and
sweeping term In applying II in gen
oral In this connection after dscapita-
tion.
I'VE cannot investigate tho phenom-
ena OF consciousness like We do the
phenomena OF light aud electricity The
detection OF consciousness for any
length OF time after decapltation with
It's many varying complex phases nov
ing onward IS hardly possible so we
can only theorizo until we find more
positive proof that life Is totally ex-
tinct after decapltation. Gross physl-
ology and psychology alone Il not
enough 10 decide for us such an intrl-
cate and delicate question. and we
must therefore seek aid among the col
lateral sciences
lis Il possible that such a mass OF
living matter as the brain dies imme-
dlately after decapitation? Protoplasm
Is known TO live for some time outside
/ OF the body when severed from ia con
nections upon which Il lives. The blood
Of the body acts as food and air sup
| ply 10 protoplasm. and when this Is cut
on does not Immediately XIII the brain
cell. Il has not by any means been
proved by physiology alone that In
this condition the brain is dead to Inn
pulse. No one has proved as yet the
difference between a dead and a Twins
brain cell. How Is II thus possible fol
me to know exactly what a live brain
cell looks like from that In contradls'
tlnctiOn 10 a dead One7 n We could
difierentlate between them We coult
more easily ascertain how long be
fore the death. Of these cells takel
place. This would then solve the ex
act life OF a brain cell after corpora
death. I cannot believe that ever
brain cell dies simultaneously, Th'
brain cell Il killed by preparing I
ready so as 10 be made demonstrablI
TO the eye Of the microscope. Why
then, could Il not be possible tina
the brain cell does also retain M
life. a. 4 ID OF the same constitution
and same powers as any other cells II
the economy. Already We know tina
a muscle responds TO all kinds Of stim
ali by contracting. a gland cell by Sc
cretlng; an optic nerve can only expe
risnce the sensation OF light, whethe
stimulated by heht. worry, electricity
or pressure. IFrltabllity Is a funda