It sems that the French were fascinated by the question of whether or not a decapitated head might show awareness for a short time. Al Cone's anecdote about Lavoisier suggests this. And Linda Woolf, in a communication off-list, shared another anecdote that also suggests this: > Of course, what I have always heard - never looked for evidence so this is > just rumor at this point - is that they would hold the head up so the > person would see their headless body and one would occasionally see the > mouth move as if to try to scream. > > Now that [is] an image that will keep one awake at night > David Likely, in a post sent to TIPS some time ago, mentioned another story that also supports the idea that the French wondered about consciousness in decapitated heads. Theodor Bischoff, a nineteenth-century scientist, wanted to empirically demonstrate a claim made by Pierre Cabanis. In 1795, Cabanis had stated that consciousness ends when the brain is cut from the rest of the body: a decapitated head would have no awareness of what was occurring around it. According to Hothersall (1995), Cabanis believed that: "Observed actions [of a decapitated body]...were no more indicative of continued consciousness than is a headless chicken�s flight around a farmyard. A German physiologist, Theodor Bischoff..., arranged a macabre, even ghoulish, test of Cabanis�s assertion on the head of a newly executed criminal [executed by guillotine]. Even intense stimuli, including the shouted word Pardon! elicited no reaction...after decapitation. Cabanis...was correct." (p. 81) This is perhaps my favorite story of all time: when picturing Bischoff bent over shouting "Pardon!" at a newly decapitated head, I have a hard time taking anything very seriously. (It probably goes without saying that I have a very dark sense of humor.) Does anyone have any other stories about this? I used David's example in a book I have been writing for my intro students (as an example of the empirical attitude), so this CAN have relevance for teaching. Jeff -- Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (602) 423-6213 9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (602) 423-6298 Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED] Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ 85250 "For every problem, there is a solution that is neat, simple, and wrong." H. L. Mencken
