The question of consciousness following decapitation remained a topic of discussion during the guillotine's use, both from an academic or medical viewpoint, as well as from a more vulgar and emotional public viewpoint driven by a fascination with the horror of a living, bodiless head.
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.[
citation needed]
The following report was written by Dr. Beaurieux, who experimented with the head of a condemned prisoner by the name of Henri Languille, on 28 June 1905:
Here, then, is what I was able to note immediately after the decapitation: the eyelids and lips of the guillotined man worked in irregularly rhythmic contractions for about five or six seconds. This phenomenon has been remarked by all those finding themselves in the same conditions as myself for observing what happens after the severing of the neck ...
I waited for several seconds. The spasmodic movements ceased. [...] It was then that I called in a strong, sharp voice: "Languille!" I saw the eyelids slowly lift up, without any spasmodic contractions – I insist advisedly on this peculiarity – but with an even movement, quite distinct and normal, such as happens in everyday life, with people awakened or torn from their thoughts.
Next Languille's eyes very definitely fixed themselves on mine and the pupils focused themselves. I was not, then, dealing with the sort of vague dull look without any expression, that can be observed any day in dying people to whom one speaks: I was dealing with undeniably living eyes which were looking at me. After several seconds, the eyelids closed again [...].
It was at that point that I called out again and, once more, without any spasm, slowly, the eyelids lifted and undeniably living eyes fixed themselves on mine with perhaps even more penetration than the first time. Then there was a further closing of the eyelids, but now less complete. I attempted the effect of a third call; there was no further movement – and the eyes took on the glazed look which they have in the dead.
[40][41]
These widespread anecdotal claims, which vary in credibility, can be reevaluated in the light of recent neurological research on animals. In one study, attempting to address whether decapitation of research rats is a humane practice, the cognitive band (13-100
Hz) in the
EEG patterns of decapitated rats reached levels hypothesized to be consistent with unconsciousness after 3.7 seconds on average.
[42] More research in this area is needed, however, as EEG patterns and power levels are not a direct measure of consciousness (a poorly understood phenomenon), nor can results with rat biology be taken as conclusive for human biology.
