# Madame Guillotine **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2007, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724 "2007-03-13T07:54:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/1 "2007-03-13T07:54:59Z")
I watched a film the other night, _Severance_ , and one of the characters stated that the Guillotine was not a humane method of execution because after ones head is severed the head can still see the headless body pumping out blood from the stump. In other words, death by decapitation is not instantaneous. He further said that the brain remains alive for 2-3 minutes and that Marie Antionette would have seen that she was …well…dead. Is there any truth to this or is it an UL ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/2 "2007-03-13T08:08:28Z")
This topic has been done to death, largely thanks to Cecil’s column on the subject. Since you’re a member I will leave you to do your own search on the numerous previous threads. Try searching in Comments on Cecil’s Columns. Feel free to use my name in the search, I seem to get drawn into them regularly. The short answer is that there is no evidence that a severed head remains conscious. There is no plausible mechanism by which it can remain conscious and there are several very good reasons which demand that it should not be conscious. The fact is that it’s impossible to know that any method of execution is instantaneous. That’s because dead people aren’t generally talkative. But as far as we can ascertain and as far as everything we know about physiology tells us, once the head is removed from the body by a guillotine or an axe you’re unconscious and within seconds you are dead without ever regaining consciousness. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/3 "2007-03-13T08:18:32Z")
Found Cecils article. I really must search more often ::smack:: ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/4 "2007-03-15T00:05:30Z")
[QUOTE=Blake] The fact is that it’s impossible to know that any method of execution is instantaneous. That’s because dead people aren’t generally talkative. But as far as we can ascertain and as far as everything we know about physiology tells us, once the head is removed from the body by a guillotine or an axe you’re unconscious and within seconds you are dead without ever regaining consciousness. [/QUOTE] I am sure that the latest MRI and ECG technology could tell if one was concious and for how long. Finding a volunteer could be the tricky part ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/5 "2007-03-15T13:18:23Z")
One of the “history of a corpse” books that were popular last year (was it _Stiff_, perhaps?) made the point that death isn’t like turning out a light; various chemical reactions go on after brain death. ---
**Author:** ![happywaffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee59a6/32.png) [@happywaffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happywaffle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/6 "2007-03-15T16:36:23Z")
[QUOTE=Rocketeer] One of the “history of a corpse” books that were popular last year (was it _Stiff_, perhaps?) made the point that death isn’t like turning out a light; various chemical reactions go on after brain death. [/QUOTE] Which is why they need to go with my “vaporize” execution method. It’s the only way to be sure. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/7 "2007-03-15T20:10:34Z")
FWIW, Dr Guillotin himself claimed “The Subject feels no more than a slight chill on the neck”. (He didn’t explain how he knew that.) ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/8 "2007-03-15T20:57:58Z")
[QUOTE=happywaffle] Which is why they need to go with my “vaporize” execution method. It’s the only way to be sure. 😉 [/QUOTE] Did your idea [come from here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Taste_of_Armageddon_%28TOS_episode%29)? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/9 "2007-03-15T23:49:15Z")
[QUOTE=scm1001] I am sure that the latest MRI and ECG technology could tell if one was concious and for how long. [/QUOTE] EEG, not ECG (the heart’s activity ceases to be particularly relevant when there’s a significant air gap between the head and the rest of the body 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/10 "2007-03-16T19:49:14Z")
[QUOTE=happywaffle] Which is why they need to go with my “vaporize” execution method. It’s the only way to be sure. 😉 [/QUOTE] Modern suicide bombers have shown us a low-tech equivalent, with death and disassembly taking place in a tiny fraction of a second. Rather than the usual vest, the condemned would be fitted with an explosive hood. Upon detonation, the subject’s head and neck would become a red mist, perhaps before any pain can be sensed. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/11 "2007-03-16T19:59:42Z")
[Link](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_262.html) to Cecil’s column ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/12 "2007-03-16T22:13:52Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Upon detonation, the subject’s head and neck would become a red mist, perhaps before any pain can be sensed. [/QUOTE] Yep, I learned that on Grey’s Anatomy. Maybe they got something right for once? There was a cool murder mystery where the serial killer would cut off the person’s head and then show them their headless body. The head would be placed in the lap with the face a shocked rictus for the authorities to see. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madame-guillotine/395724/13 "2007-03-23T05:05:57Z")
Aw, I was hoping this was about that Swedish lady who claims to be sexually attracted to guillotines (the one who says she married the Berlin Wall) (note: she’s actually very nice, and interesting. But very, very strange.)