DEATH BY DFCAPITATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 230, 31 January 1880, Page 3

DEATH BY DFCAPITATION.

" The Figaro " recently sent a special • reporter to witness the execution at Beauvais of an atrocious murderer ""•■ named Prunier. The moment that the -guillotine had done its work the body and head were placed in a basket, and were taken to the cemetery, where Drs. Evrard,'Le Sage, Chevallier, Lesguillion. Koehu andDecaisne were present. M. Evrard bad asked for and obtained the body of the felon for experiments, whigjj'says the reporter, "we followed with tteep inteiest, for besides their "purely scientific character, they related to a question so often discussed. Does -life survive decapitation ? Fivemmutes had elapsed irom the moment when the head was separated from the trunk, and it was placed on a stone in the open ; air, in front of the little chapel of the 'cemetery. Comparatively little blood ; had flowed, and some drops were running from the carotid artery. Although the "neck was very short, the cutting h?d been very clean. Pinched, stuck with needles, submitted to the most painful experiments, the head never moved; the face remained unaltered, not a muscle ■quivered. The left ear was completely calcined in the flame of a candle without obtaining th* smallest appearance of sensibility. Then they divided the skin of the head into four parts, and, using Shammer, scalpel, nd the sa*, they took away the upper portion of the skull and withdrew the brain. T'.is occupied 10 minutes. Immediately on being submitted to an electric battery the remains of the head at once displayed nervous contractions— the teeth chattered, the mouth shut, the eye and the cheek made those grimaces which are k observed in sleeping people when taciled with a feather. With the body the same result was obtained. It was absolutely without feeling. It was opened, the heart, lungs, and intestines were removed, and thee, on m contact with the electric battery, the arms and legs instantly moved. At this moment Dr Evrard asked me what o'clock it was, »nd that 40 miuutes had flapped from the time of the execution. Lastly tane the concluding experiment. Under the action of the battery a shred of hanging flesh, displayed by the operations, stood on end, oscillated, and ■quickly placed itself back on the spot from which it had been cut." The conclusion of the doctors is that the movements observed in the bodies of persons guillotined on being subjected to the action of electricity are absolutely mechanical, and display neither any remainder of life nor of sensation. The Sit will be the subject of a rfuch will shortly be presented ademy of Medicine by M. Evin which he will demonstrate fch by decapitation is instantaneous.