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Old 01-03-2007, 03:48 PM   #142 (permalink)
Ch'i
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As far as the method, doesn't electrocution just stop the heart? I believe it's usually one charge and not something that builds up so technically the person should not even feel it.
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Originally Posted by Wikipedia
The head and legs of the condemned person are shaved and the prisoner is strapped into the chair. A moist sponge is placed on the head to aid conductivity. One electrode is attached to the head and a second attached to the leg to provide a closed circuit. At least two jolts of an electrical current are applied with the time and current depending on the physical state of the condemed person. Typically an initial voltage of around 2,000 volts is applied for up to 15 seconds to stop the heart and induce unconsciousness. The voltage is then lowered to reduce current flow to approximately 8 amps. The body of the person may heat up to approximately 210°F (100°C), and the electric current will generally cause severe damage to internal organs.
In theory, unconsciousness occurs in a fraction of a second. However, there are many reports of things going wrong. There have been reports of a person's head on fire; of burning transformers, and of a chair breaking down after the initial jolt and letting the condemned wait in pain on the floor of the execution room while the chair was fixed.
For .1-15 seconds they feel every muscle in their body tense to the point of breaking while feeling 2,000 volts melt them from the inside until they lose conscienceness or their heart stops, if nothing goes wrong.

Seriously though, this thread is about Saddam's hanging, not the death penalty. As BOR said, make a new thread.

Last edited by Ch'i; 01-03-2007 at 03:59 PM..
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