Methods of Execution

From DG

29 Oct 1995

Found this in a magazine, I thought it would be a good idea to share it with you lot.

There are some good pictures too which I may post on abpt. if you are interested...?

In 1993 Dr Harold Hillman of the University of Surrey published the most comprehensive study of the age old question is there a humane form of execution? his findings make fun reading.....

1. HANGING

The method used in the UK until abolition in 1965, hanging is widely regarded as swift and sure. Because it rapidly dislocates the neck, it is also assumed to be painless. But intact skin and nerves above the noose mean the burning of the rope and suffocating action may be felt. Errors setting the noose and drop distance have also occurred, leading to grotesquely slow deaths.

2. BEHEADING

Famously achieved by means of the guillotine during the French Revolution, decapitation is still carried out by sword in some countries, notably Saudi Arabia. Like hanging, this method was once thought quick and humane, but the oxygenated blood still in the brain may allow consciousness and pain to persist for many seconds. There have been reports of the eyes of the severed head surveying witnesses after decapitation. In Saudi Arabia there have been 147 beheadings this year. Public executions take place on Friday after midday prayers. The executioner, usually from Sudan or Egypt, forces the condemned to his knees, then lops off his head with one sweep of his sword.

3. FIRING SQUAD

Still used extensively, the firing squad has greater claim to be regarded as humane. Bullets fired into the head at high speed are likely to cause instant death, as their passage into the brain causes massive damage to and destruction of tissue. The 1953 Royal Commission into capital punishment rejected firing squad as a means of execution because of the risk of bullets hitting non-fatal areas.

4. GAS CHAMBER

First used in Nevada in 1921, the gas chamber is an airtight room with a chair in, to which the accused is strapped. Death is caused by exposure to cyanide gas, produced when sodium cyanide is dropped into sulphuric acid. The suffering caused is deliberate and plain to see: writhing, vomiting, shaking and gasping for breath for many seconds. This horrendous technique is used only in a few US states.

5. ELECTRIC CHAIR

First used in New York in 1890 and still in use in 13 states, "old sparky" was the horrific outcome of Thomas Edison's attempt to show the dangers of the AC power supply being promoted by his rivals. The condemned is strapped to a wooden chair, electrodes are attached, and a shock of 30,000 watts is applied. The prisoner is literally cooked internally, and death may require multiple shocks.

6. STONING (good one!!)

Dating back to biblical times, the casting of stones is still used in some Islamic states, notably Iran. The condemned is bound hand and foot and buried up to the neck in sand with a sheet placed over the head. A crowd of hysterical bystanders then pelts them until the lack of screams indicates death. Iran’s laws forbid the use of large stones, as they bring death too swiftly.

7. LETHAL INJECTION

Introduced in the US in 1977 and now in use in 23 states, this is the most widespread method and arguably the most humane. The condemned is strapped to a table and injected with sodium thiopentone, losing consciousness in 10 to 15 seconds. This is followed by pancuronium bromide, which blocks respiration, and finally potassium chloride to stop the heart.

8. DEATH BY BOREDOM

The condemmed is forced to read the purile rantings of MC Deuce until they croak through boredom or beg for one of the above.

Later

DG