If a person is dispatched by decapitation swiftly (i.e. guilotine) can the head still be alive right after?

Answer 1

I answered a similar question last week, and here is the copy and paste of the part of my answer:

The question you are asking had once came into the minds of philosophers and physicians alike and was then a debate when the guillotine use was still new.

"Does the head retain consciousness after decapitation?" was once the query on debate with the use of guillotine.

Scholars of medicine and surgery had then conducted various experiments to find out an answer .

>> French anatomy professor Dr. Séguret conducted experiments on the effects of the guillotine. Some of his experiments included: exposing the eyes of two heads to sunlight in which the eyes promptly shut, pricking the exposed tongue of a victim and seeing it withdraw into the mouth, and witnessing the eyes of one victim follow the voice of whomever was talking for more than fifteen minutes.

>>Dr. Dassy de Ligniéres pumped blood from a living dog into a decapitated head and found that for a few moments the lips quivered and the eyes twitched.

>>Dr. Beaurieux, in 1905, experimented with the head of a recently executed prisoner. In calling the deceased’s name, the head slowly opened its eyes and the pupils focused. The eyes closed and again his name was called, “Languille!” Once again the motions were repeated and the eyes fixed themselves on the doctor. A third attempt was made with no more movement. The whole thing is said to have lasted twenty-five to thirty seconds.

Their experiments proved that life could still hold on for an unknown amount of time after the head had been severed from the body.

Looking back on physiology, brain death will essentially occur from lack of oxygen supply. If beheading is done pretty quick, though there is abrupt abortion of blood supply + massive loss of blood, there will still be "some amount of blood" within the cut off head.

The brain would be still be able to use the remaining oxygen in the head which will be sufficient enough to retain life for at least a few seconds or minutes.

Answer 2

For up to 3 minutes.

The brain is the hungriest organ in the human body and it takes only 3 minutes of oxygen starvation for brain damage to set in. When the brain damage sets in then it can lead to failure in any of the autonomic functions that keep the body alive. So if you destroy the body or do anything else that will cause death then death will occur in 3 minutes and 99% of the time it will be from brain damage.

In the case of severing a person’s head the person will still be alive and could die quicker as the blood supply drains out, it depends how fast it comes out of the head, but you can be assured that they will have enough time to know what happened and feel the pain; without lungs though they won't be able to complain about it.

Electrical shock, hanging, rifle fire, all forms of execution have this chance of leaving the person alive for those three minutes. Even if the brain is burned and the person is shot in the head there will still be a strong chance of those 3 minutes of life. That's why most states, that have the death penalty, have moved to death by lethal injection.

In lethal injection the executed victim is given a huge dose of sleeping medication that takes effect quickly, then they are given a dose of medication that shocks the heart to stop, and finally a medication that paralyzes the body (to stop the flopping) and stop the lungs. Death comes from one of three methods and it usually starts with them falling asleep. They are given massive doses to insure death and because no doctor, who honors the Hippocratic Oath, could become involved in an execution.

Answer 3

For about 13 seconds, the head stays alive as the body does not subconsciously know what has happened.

from the accounts of an experiment conducted by Dr. Beaurieux in 1908:

"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."

Answer 4

People have actually looked into this and people about to be executed have agreed to cooperate.

One investigator believes he was able to see a response for as much as fifteen seconds after the head was lopped off, eye movements responding to being called.

The complete collapse of blood pressure prevents oxygenation so unconsciousness is within seconds, as opposed to the 3 - 5 minutes an oxygen starved brain can survive without breathing.

Answer 5

It would stand to reason that it would remain alive until starved for oxygen. And I think I read somewhere that witnesses to such executions sometimes felt that they perceived consciousness on the part of these people.
But it also seems to me that such an abrupt severing of the head from the body might be so shocking as to interfere with one's perceptions. Let's hope so. Otherwise it would be an awful death.

Answer 6

i believe the people who have already answered have said it all the best they can, but i would add that the head is still alive for a few seconds afterwards, because in the middle ages and renaissance in Europe, after someone was beheaded, the executioner would hold up the head so it could see it's body and it's crying family for torture. Not that it was effective, because after that it died.

Answer 7

Dispatched? Interesting terminology. Doubtful I think, because the sudden drop in blood pressure would cause unconsciousness or immediate blackout before the former wearer of the head that was "dispatched" could perceive it.

Answer 8

yes it can, until it's oxegen supply is gone so it is possible for it to remain alive for 3-5 minutes after decapitation.

Answer 9

define alive