Was the Guillotine instant death?

Question

From its first use, there has been debate as to whether the guillotine always provided as swift a death as Dr. Guillotin hoped. With previous methods of execution, there was little concern about the suffering inflicted. As the guillotine was invented specifically to be "humane", however, the issue was seriously considered. Furthermore, there is the possibility that the very swiftness of the guillotine only prolonged the victim's suffering. The blade cuts quickly enough so that there is relatively little impact on the brain case, and perhaps less likelihood of immediate unconsciousness than with a more violent decapitation, or long-drop hanging.

Audiences to guillotinings told numerous stories of blinking eyelids, speaking, moving eyes, movement of the mouth, even an expression of "unequivocal indignation" on the face of the decapitated Charlotte Corday when her cheek was slapped. Anatomists and other scientists in several countries have tried to perform more definitive experiments o

Answer 1

I postulate that the death is so instant that the subject of the execution does not realize that he/she has died. Hence the observed reactions.

Answer 2

That's interesting...

Does that prove that the seat of the soul, while in the body,  is in the head or brain?

Answer 3

Here is a thought to ponder, just think of a chicken when it gets its head cut off.  Even tho the head was severed, the nerves in the body are still active for a few seconds.

It would be the same in a human.

Answer 4

It was instant death. How could the victim not know they were dead> They were placed under the thing and knew they were going to get their head cut off. It does not matter how instantaneous the death is, whenever you have been told you are going to die and you know about the method of death, believe me you will know you are dead.

Answer 5

I would think that even if the neural activity continues for several seconds, that there is no actual conscious awareness left. Besides the obvious effect of massive shock, which numbs and renders the brain unable to think coherently, a human body without a spiritual aspect would be simply a nervous system encased in flesh.

Since our consciousness and awareness arises from the spirit, the life force that keeps us going, the soul if you will, then when that life force, or soul, departs there would be no true awareness left, only automatic response based in physical nerve activity, a "the lights are on but no one's home" sort of thing.

Of course this could cause a debate on the exact moment that the soul departs, but that is probably for another forum.

Answer 6

Nearly instant. Benjamin Franklin, of all people, did a study of guillotined subjects in France and was able to communicate briefly with eyeblink 'yes-no' answers, but loss of blood pressure to the brain makes for only seconds of remaining consciousness.

Answer 7

I was told years ago, that when beheaded instantly, the brain is still active for approx 20 to 30 seconds afterwards...

Answer 8

By a few accounts, including the one you mention, it was not instant death.  However, even if the person was conscious, it may have been a relatively painless death.

Here's more on death and the guillotine:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_...