1890.] MICROSCOriOAL JOURNAL. 189 



of applying the electrodes to the body, on the application of the current, 

 death, in my opinion, was instantaneous. 



Mr. Edison objects to the location of the electrodes ; his information 

 must have been taken from newspapers. He says the arms, hands, 

 and fingers are full of blood and the current should have been forced 

 through them. IIow about the canalicuhe and lacunie of bone ? Do they 

 not contain blood .^ and in many cases the vascularity will compare 

 closely with that of the softer tissues. In life, bone presents, through 

 its vascularity, these innumerable channels- filled with (saline) blood, 

 a very fair conducting medium. The question of paralysis of the 

 psychical centres of the brain, which is obtained by the location of the 

 electrodes as in the Kemmler Chair is of vastly more importance than 

 to pass the current through the body with the positive uncertainty of 

 the interference with consciousness, which might ensue if the current 

 were passed through the arms. The ditlerence, if any, in resistance is 

 a factor of no consequence in electric execution. 



In the case of Kemmler, the head electrode was filled with the potash 

 solution by myself, and through the spring arrangement, which secured 

 it in place and the immovability of the culprit, there was at least one 

 inch in depth of fluid covering the electrode and confined within its rub- 

 ber cap. In other words, there was no leakage of fluid from this 

 electrode ; how interestingly does this answer the question as to the 

 contortions of the body which our newspapers inflicted on the public. 

 " The truth will out." How did I know the electrode did not leak? I 

 removed it myself some zo minutes after the current was turned ofl' and 

 the fluid poured down over the head. In this electrode the hair of one 

 edge was merely singed where an arc had been formed ; it was not 

 burned to any extent, nor anywhere to the scalp. 



There was no question of imperfect contact raised here. The elec- 

 trode on spine did not fit as tightly or hold the fluid so securely, but 

 even then it did its work, but after the third application of the current 

 dried up the saturated sponge which burned away — only at one edge — 

 allowing the brass plate to touch the skin at this point only. A burn, 

 of course, resulted, but Kemmler was a corpse some time before the sec- 

 ond application of the current. Will any one question, even if they 

 do not desire to admit, that Kemmler died in the first 20 seconds, that 

 he was not dead at this time, 100 seconds after first application ^of cur- 

 rent ? Dead without physical suflering also ? This is the truthful state- 

 ment of the result of the first electro-execution by one who, during its 

 enactment, was from two to six feet distant from the culprit. 



The true history of the first electro-execution should read thus : Cur- 

 rent applied, unconsciousness, death immediately resulted ; current 

 kept on about lo seconds — too short a time. 



Within 20 seconds of first application of current I could detect 

 no pulse at wrist. Shortly afterward two or three slight movements 

 of chest took place. As to their import see Dr. Tatum's results on 

 dogs, viz : " In 21 out of 23 dogs killed by the application of electricity, 

 eflective respiration survived the final heart arrest. Fair inspirations 

 were recorded in several cases as long as 4 or 5 minutes after the dose, 

 which lasted only one second, but after which the heart had not exe- 

 cuted a single beat that could be detected. My own demonstrations 



