Have you ever wondered why we no longer use the Guillotine to carry out capital punishment? If you have, this should help make things more clear
Note: The following was taken from An Underground Education by Richard Zacks.
- 1880. Dr. Dassy de Lignières is given the head of a murderer three hours after decapitation. He pumps blood from a living dog into the head, and for two seconds the lips and eyelids fluttered. Concludes the doctor:"I affirm that during two seconds the brain thought."
- 1905. Dr. Beaurieux is able to investigate the head instantly after decapitation. "Here then is what I was able to note immediately after the decapitation: the eyelids and lips of the guillotined man worked in irregularly rythmic contractions for about five or six seconds. I waited for several seconds. The spasmodic movements ceased. The face relaxed, the lids half-closed on the eyeballs, leaving only the white of the conjuctiva visible, exactly as in the dying whom we have occasion to see every day... It was then that i called in a strong sharp voice: "Languille!" I then saw the eyelids slowly lift up, without any spasmodic contraction - I insist advisedly on this peculiarity - but with an even movement, quite distinct and normal, such as happens in everyday life, with people awakened or torn from their thoughts. Next, Languille's eyes very definitely fixed themselves on mine and the pupils focused themselves. I was not, then, dealing with a vague dull look without any expression that can be observed any day in dying people to whom one speaks: I was dealing with undeniably living eyes which were looking at me."
- 1956. Dr. Piedelièvre and Dr. Fournier conclude, "Death is not instantaneous... every element survives decapitation... (it is) a savage vivisection followed by a premature burial."