Scientific Intelligence. — Physiology. 1 89 
but now it seemed afraid to move ; it knocked against the books, 
overturned several of them, and could only escape by sliding 
along, as a blind man would do who directed himself by a wall. 
25. Experiments made upon six decapitated Robbers^ by Pro^ 
fessor Bartels. — On the 14th October 1811, six highway rob- 
bers were beheaded near Marburg; one of them was sixty 
years of age, the other five from twenty to thirty. At the in- 
stant when the head of the first fell, the trunk got up again as 
if the individual* had been about to rise upon his feet, while the 
bodies of the others fell down flat at the very moment. When 
a little after the heads were thrown at the foot of the scaffold, 
we saw all the muscles of the face of the last executed com- 
pletely relax, while those of the old man presented a general 
contraction, which lasted for a considerable time. These oppo- 
site effects took place without the occurrence of any difference 
in the mode of decapitation to which they could be attributed : 
with respect to this, it will not be useless to remark, that there 
remained at least two*” vertebrae attached to each of the heads. 
It was observed, that, at the moment of decapitation, the mus- 
cles of the face of the greater number of the heads contracted 
in a convulsive manner. As the head of the first decapitated 
had not been brought with the rest, no other observations were 
made with regard to it. The second, which fell ten minutes 
after it, was observed without loss of time. It was tried at first 
to excite a contraction of the iris, by pricking that organ, but 
no apparent motion was obtained. The same operation having 
been made upon the iris of the third head, the pupil dilated a 
little, and again quickly contracted ; while, at the same time, 
the pupil of the other eye (which had not been pricked) con- 
tracted, and again immediately dilated ; an effect which Profes- 
sor Trenderoth, as well as Messrs Bunger and Herold, who 
were also present, saw in the most evident manner. Some 
minutes after decapitation, the bodies were opened, the heart 
contracted and dilated alternately with much force, in such a 
manner as to produce regular pulsations. At the end of ten 
minutes, these motions had, it is true, abated a little ; but they 
were always incessant, and the alternate contraction and dilata- 
tion preserved their regularity. Pive minutes later, these mo. 
