How Long Does a Guillotined Head Remain Alive

Of the many gruesome stories weve come to associate with the guillotine, one recurring theme that just wont die has to do with a particularly gory piece of French Revolutionary folklore: Eyewitnesses claimed to have observed firsthand that victims heads remained alive after beheading—albeit if only for a short period of time. Given the human fascination for horror and the macabre, its not surprising that the subject has held our collective interest for centuries. Historians, scientists, and students of urban legend have all weighed in on the topic—but can the brain function when violently separated from the body? Historical Accounts: Fact or Fiction? The guillotine was invented as a supposedly humane and painless method of execution designed initially for working-class criminals as an alternative to hanging, which was notoriously inefficient. If their necks didnt snap when the trapdoor dropped open, those sentenced to death by hanging sometimes dangled for long agonizing minutes until they suffocated. The guillotine brought the promise of death that was instant and painless—but could the inventors have been wrong? There is a wealth of anecdotal information (much of it dating back to the ​French Revolution, one of the guillotines most prolific periods) that has been used to bolster both sides of the argument. Some of it suggests that people did indeed die instantly and humanely. However, there are as many or more tales that recount lingering deaths after a head was severed from its body. In addition to final data on beheaded French scientists whod directed their students to stand witness and record how many times they blinked, there are fanciful accounts of decapitated murderers who attempted to speak and stories of bitter rivals executed one after the other who each took one last bite from their respective nemesis after both heads had been tossed in a sack for disposal. Perhaps the most famous of the guillotine tropes concerns Charlotte Corday, who In 1793, was executed  for her part in the assassination of  radical journalist/politician Jean-Paul Marat. Legend has it that after her beheading, witnesses reported Cordays eyes turned to the executioner with a look of abject disgust, at which point he added insult to injury by slapping Cordays face as he held her disjointed head up to a cheering crowd, turning Cordays cheek bright red. However, as stirring as the Revolutionary tale—as well as others from the era—may be, its more than likely just a piece of propaganda concocted at the time to stoke mob sentiment. As historians point out, the retelling of events that take place during periods of enormous political upheaval is not always motivated by truth—especially where there are clear partisan priorities are involved. Without corroborating evidence, such testimony must be taken with a liberal grain of salt. The Medical Answer The simple act of removing a head from a body is not what kills the brain. This doesnt just apply to the guillotine. Any forms of swift decapitation will have the same eventual result. If, however, the brain  receives no trauma from the killing blow and the decapitation is clean, the brain will continue to function until the lack of oxygen and vital chemicals from blood loss causes unconsciousness and death. The current medical consensus is that survival does occur post-decapitation for a period of roughly 10 to 13 seconds. The amount of time varies depending on the victims build, general health, and the immediate circumstances of the fatal blow. The Question of Consciousness Technical survival alone forms only part of the answer to how long a human head remains alive after decapitation. The second question must be, how long does the person remain aware? While the brain remains chemically alive, consciousness my cease immediately due to loss of blood pressure, or if the victim was knocked unconscious by the force of the decapitation. Worst case scenario, an individual could, in theory, remain conscious for some or all of their final thirteen seconds. In fact, when French physician Dr. Beaurieux observed the 1905 execution of a criminal named Henri Languille, he later stated a report he published in Archives d’Anthropologie Criminelle that for nearly 30 seconds post-decapitation, he was able to get Languille to open his eyes and undeniably focus on him—twice—by calling the mans name. Even taking scientific evidence into consideration, theres no single answer to the question of how long a decapitated head remains alive once its been separated from the body to which it was once attached. While its likely that the most fanciful of the legends—such as people biting one another post head chopping—are simply legends, at least for some who fell victim to the blade of the guillotine, its very possible that their last few earthly seconds may well have taken place after their heads came off. Sources Bellows, Alan. Lucid Decapitation. Damn Interesting. April 8, 2006.

The Different Types of Autism - 675 Words

At two years old Johnathan was diagnosed with a mild form of autism. Autism affects every 1-in-70 boys and 1-in-315 girls around the world. It affects the brain’s way of thinking and processing information. Many people with autism have a hard time with concentration, organization, and remembering certain things. Consequently, autism is a mental disorder that affects the brain, body, and other people. According to Mary Brownell, â€Å"autism is a neurobiological condition that ranges from severe to mild.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"People with autism spectrum disorder (ASDs) have problems with communication, learning, behavior, and social skills.†(Abramovitz) This shows that autism can affect many parts of the brain, which may affect the body. The different ranges of autism are known as the autism spectrum. The autism spectrum can range from mild to serious. In serious cases, some people may not be able to speak, feed, or dress themselves. In other worlds, autism can be different for a nyone who has it; therefore, one may have it worse then another. (1a:SV; therefore, SV.) In addition, autism is a mental illness that can range in seriousness. The aspergers spectrum is a mild form of autism, which is part of the autism spectrum. â€Å"Individuals with aspergers represent the greatest number of people on the spectrum. Another way to say this is that many people with autism have aspergers spectrum. Aspergers is a type of mild autism that is mainly seen in people with autism. Also, many people with aspergersShow MoreRelatedMusic And Children With Autism881 Words   |  4 PagesInformative Speech Topic: Music and Children with Autism Purpose: To inform audiences about the effect of music to the children with autism Thesis: Music effect children with autism in a powerful significant way. Introduction: †¢ Do you know that 1 in every 68 children in the United States has an autism? (Miriam, 2014) †¢ Boys are more likely to have autism than girl. †¢ What is autism means to us? In 1943, according to Dr. Leo Kannar who was the first described autism as a distinct condition that caused byRead MoreHow Does Autism Affect Your Brain Affects Your Whole Personality And The Way You Interact With Others1160 Words   |  5 PagesI’ve had a personal encounter with a child who has autism. It was hard to socialize with him because he avoided making eye contact with me and he wanted to spend time alone. Since that day, autism has become very intriguing for me now I can study a topic that interests me. Through this study, I’ve learned how grateful I am for the life I have and although I go through challenges every day, others have it much worse. I’ve also learned that the tiniest problems in the brain can affect your wholeRead MoreAutism : The Fastest Growing Disorder1076 Words   |  5 PagesAutism affects people in a lot of different ways. 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Why I’M Proud to Be an American Free Essays

Why I Am Proud To Be An American I have been an American citizen for over thirteen years. I am an American citizen because I grew up in America and have lived in it for my entire life. I am technically part Russian because my Great Grandparents came to America from Russia. We will write a custom essay sample on Why I’M Proud to Be an American or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, generations after that have lived in America. I am thankful to be an American because if freedom of religion. The people who first came to America came looking for that, because back then there was none. I am a Christian who serves the one and only God. I can go to church every Sunday knowing that I can praise God without hiding my religion. There aren’t many nations who have freedom of religion. Some have only Catholic, Muslim, and so on as religions. I am grateful to be living in America because, we have a free enterprise system. In the beginning, when the English ruled most of the colonies, there was no free enterprise system. Some people still gets lazy, but they have consequences to deal with. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. It is sad that many people get lazy, and they are thrown out of their homes. Nevertheless there are also the people who do work very hard to provide food and shelter for themselves and their family. Another reason I am appreciated to be an American is for freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech we would not have a lot of the stuff we have today. People are able to speak freely of their judgments and not be afraid to. Many presidents, governors, and other people instigate a lot of ideas and plans from speaking their mind. There are so many more reasons why I love being an American. There is a lot of freedom that other countries do not have. Though I can argue with some things that the laws enforced, but there is a lot of other things I can love about this country. How to cite Why I’M Proud to Be an American, Essay examples