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LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1837. [1836-37. of the external air into the lungs ; or, in general language, suffocation, by whatever LECTURES means it is caused, whether by hanging, or or ON by drO1l’1lÎng, by smothering. Hanging is one mode of suffocation, for MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE, when the body is suspended during life by a cord or rope passed round the neck, the NOW IN COURSE OF DELIVFRY trachea is compressed, and respiration is AT THE suspended. The symptoms attending hang- ing have been detailed by those who have UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. been imperfectly hanged, and have been BY PROFESSOR A. T. THOMSON. re-animated. WEPPER relates a case of a man and a woman, who, having revived after hanging, stated that the sensation they ex- LECTURE XXXI. perienced was simply that of passing into a profound slumber; and the same loss of RODIES FOfrVD Df.An.—.D/t 1))’odiieed bi, consciousness was experienced by a gentle- asphyxia; effects of hanging; obsf1’/tctior. man who took a fancy to ascertain the fact of the circulation in the brain; recorerie: upon himself, and who, says Lord BACON, qfter hanging. Eâdences of a body haring in detailing the case, would have fallen the been hung while alive. I1’hetlier the hang. victim of his curiosity, if a friend had not ing was suicide or murder. Whether arm cut him down. In a case mentioned by ir4.sl)h y xiated pel’son; not found suyended, MORGAGNI, flashes of light were seen before died by hanging. Strangulation without the eyes before consciousness departed. hanging. Can suicide be committed by The external symptoms, however, would strangling? lead to a different conclusion. When a criminal is hanged, the first apparent effect ’GEXTLEMEN:—The subject to which I is an ineffectual attempt at inspiration, have now to direct your attention, is the which is sometimes followed by convul- duty of the medical jurist in reference to sions. inquiries respecting bodiesfound dead. There are four circumstances, connected I have already stated to you the appear- with death from hanging, which require to ances by which natural death is to be ascer- be attended to in forming a decision on tained. Our present subject refers solely to cases of death from supposed hanging. death, arising from violent causes. These Three of these may be regarded as acces- consist of various kinds of asphyxia;- sory causes, in conjunction with the fourth, namely, hanging, st/’angulation, drowning, our immediate cause, namely, suffocation. smothering, wounds, burning, stay-vatioit, and The accessories are, death from lightning. ’ 1. Compressing of the blood-vessels. As to asphyxia, it embraces whatever sus- 2. Compressing of the nerves. pends directly the function of respiration, 3. Dislocation of the cervical vertebra*. whether mechanical or chemical; but as That suffocation is the immediate and the consideration of the latter comes more principal cause of death by hanging, has properly under toxicology, it is to the for- been several times experimentally demon- mer that we have at present to direct our strated. GREGORY opened the trachea of a attention. The mechanical causes, how- dog, and passed a cord round the neck of ever, of asphyxia, involve chemical pheno- the animal, above the opening, and sus- mena, and it is on these chiefly that the pended him by it. He continued to live death of the patient depends. and respire, but when the cord was placed The interruption of these chemical phe- below the opening, he quickly perished. nomena, so far as concerns our inquiries, Sir B. BRODIF. hanged a dog, and as soon as depends on whatever obstructs flip uassaee it became insensible, he opene 1 the trachea No 714. 210 below the ligature, upon doing which the ascertained, closely resembles that which animal breathed, and its sensibility re- results from the division of the eighth pair turned. It is only by supposing that the of nerves ; and as this excellent physiologist asphyxia is incomplete, that we can imagine found that a guinea pig, in which he passed the possibility of the circulation being re- a ligature under the trachea, and after a newed, and the brain relieved ; and that we little time removed it, was found dead next can account for some of the cases of re- morning, he concludes, that a person re- covery after criminal execution by hanging. covering from the immediate effects of A man of the name of JOHN SMITH,who was hanging, may afterwards die of the injury executed at Tyburn, on the 24th December, done to the par vagum. If we take this 1705, was cut down in fifteen minutes, in fact into account, aud, also, that persons consequence of the arrival of a reprieve, who have recovered from hanging have and was recovered by veneasection. Gover- been for a long period afflicted with ringing nor WALL was long in dying, in conse- in the ears, there is reason for thinking quence of which a particular examination that one cause of the total suspension of of his throat took place; and the difficulty respiration is the pressure of those nerves was found to have been owing to an ossified which regulate the respiratory function. portion of the trachea resisting the pressure The compression of the trachea, in the first of the rope. place, causes a suspension of respiration; 1. With regard to compression on the in the second, the pressure on the blood blood vessels, something like apoplexy oc- vessels, and nerves of respiration, is the curs ; thus, the countenance becomes red immediate cause of the total failure of the and livid, and often a bloody mucus issues function. from the mouth and nose ; the eyes are red 3. In many instances there is a laceration and projecting, the eyelids generally open, of the larynx or trachea; the vertebrse of and the tongue, not unfrequently, thrust the neck are also occasionally luxated, out of the mouth, and sometimes wounded chiefly owing to rupture of the ligaments of by the convulsive action of the jaws. All the neck, in which case, also, there is likely of these symptoms closely resemble those to be compression, or nipping, of the spinal of death from apoplexy. It might be sup- cord. It is said, that two noted execu- posed, that the compression of the jugulars, tioners at Paris, whose victims perished in in preventing the return of blood from the different manners, being questioned as to head, would produce accumulation in the the cause of this difference, stated, that one brain ; but it is now admitted, that no accu- of them produced a luxation of the first cer. mulation of blood in the brain is essential vical vertebra from the second, and a con- for apoplexy, which arises from obstructed sequent laceration of the trachea, by placing circulation, whatever may be the cause, the knot of the cord under the ear, and giv- In hanging, it cannot be doubted that this ing a rotatory motion to the body on push- occurs, because the arteries which supply ing it from the ladder; whilst the other the chief part of the blood to the brain are placed the knot at the back of the neck, also compressed, and the supply of blood to and let his victim fall gently, and without it is thus cut off. It is true, that during the rotatory movement. It is not unusual suspension, the brain may be supplied by for those who suffer from hanging, to void means of the inter-vertebral vessels ; and the urine, to pass faeces, to eject semen, and thus it might be presumed that an accumu- to display an erection of the penis in articulo lation might take place ; but the obstruc- mortis. tion is sufficient to explain the effect on the In post-mortem examinations of the bodies brain, which is incapable of receiving auy of persons who have been hanged, indepen- additional quantity of blood, so that, in dently of luxations of the vertebrae and truth, the vessels cannot be overloaded. If lacerations of the cartilages and the trachea, the arteries be distended beyond their ordi- the lungs are found livid and expanded, and nary diameter, the veins must be in an the trachea is often filled with bloody froth ; equal ratio more empty than usual, a state the right cavities of the heart are gorged with of things not likely to occur during life. It blood, whilst the left is nearly empty, and is, nevertheless, contended, that the brains the blood, which often remains fluid, followss of executed criminals have displayed extra- every incision of the scalpel; the pulmonary vasated blood amongst the membranes, and cells are distended, and, as in cases of smo- sanguineous congestions, so that, at least, thering, the lungs do not collapse when the we are authorised to conclude that apo- chest is opened. Although, in general, the plexy sometimes occurs. This appearance, face is full of blood, and dilated, yet some- however, of venous congestion, is the result times it remains pale, and presents few in- of arteries emptying themselves into the dications of cerebral obstructed circulation. veins after death. The shoulders are usually raised, from the 2. That a compression of the nerves strong effort made to inspire before the chiefly supplying the respiratory organs asphyxia supervenes : frequently ecchymo- also takes place, is undoubted ; and the ses are observed upon them, extending to appearance in the lungs, as Sir B. BRODIE the breast and down the arms; the fingers 211 are usually bent, the nails are blue, and the time elapsed from the hour of death, if often the hands are clenched.

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