In most countries cessation of heartbeat is the definition of death that is used in judicial hanging.The typically occurs within 8-15 minutes after the drop. This time is very variable, however, with credible official reports of from 1-25 minutes for cessation of heartbeat to have occurred.This time is often implied as length of suffering in newspaper reports of executions, but this is incorrect.In 1887 Dr. Llewellyn A. Morgan, the medical officer of Londons Newgate prison, used a sphygmograph (click here for diagram) to record the pulses of three men hanged there that year, 41 year old Joseph King, 31 year old Thomas Currell and 22 year old Isreal Lipski.This machine was attached to the prisoners wrist as quickly as possible after the drop and recorded their pulse on carbon paper.The recordings show a rise in pulse rate initially and then a diminishing and weakening of it over time (Click here for print out).In all three cases the mens necks were broken.19 year old Herbert Mills who was the last man to be hanged at Lincoln in 1951 is reported to have had heart action continue for 20 minutes after the drop fell.Again there had been fracture dislocation of the neck vertebrae.It is thought that brain death will occur in around six minutes through lack of oxygen, irrespective of when the heart stops.

Experiments were carried out by F.E. Buckland, the assistant director of pathology, British Army of the Rhine, on Nazi war criminals executed by the British at Hameln prison in Germany after World War II and these found, that although the prisoners were rendered unconscious by the drop the heart could continue to beat for up to 25 minutes after execution.This created a problem because it meant that it would take far longer to carry out the batches of executions if each prisoner had to be left on the rope for an hour.It was thus proposed that the medical officer present would inject 10cc of chloroform into the prisoner 30 seconds after the drop had been given.It was found that if the chloroform was injected directly into the heart it immediately stopped beating and if injected intravenously into the arm the heart would stop in seconds.This procedure was first used at the execution of 10 men and three women on the 13th of December 1945.
On the 8th of March 1946 Albert Pierrepoint hanged eight men at Hameln and it was decided not to inject chloroform. The prison doctor listened to their hearts with a stethoscope in the normal way and recorded his results. These showed that it took between 10 and 15 minutes for audible heart beats to cease. On the 15th of May 1946 a further ten executions were carried out and this time the condemned were wired up to an electrocardiograph, which recorded the electrical activity of the heart. It showed that impulses were produced for a further ten minutes; taking the total time to 25 minutes.A human heart has a sinoatrial node which is located in the upper wall of the right atrium. This is also referred to as the hearts pacemaker and its contractions generate nerve impulses that travel throughout the heart wall causing both atria to contract.There are other auto-rhythmic nodes that also effect heart rate.

The Post-mortem report.
In some parts of Britain, e.g. the three London hanging prisons, a post-mortem was typically carried out during the 20th century on the executed person's body to establish the exact cause of death and we are fortunate to have the report of Ruth Ellis' autopsy as carried out by Professor Keith Simpson, who was one of the most eminent pathologists of his day. I have reproduced it as closely as possible to the original 1950's typewriter style. Post mortems are/were also carried out in other countries.

POST MORTEM EXAMINATION

Name Ellis, Ruth Apparent Age 28 years.

At H. M. Prison, Holloway Date July 13 1955.

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION

How long dead

Well nourished
Evidence of proper care and attention.
Height 5ft.2ins. Weight 103 lbs.

DEEP IMPRESSIONS AROUND NECK from noose with a suspension point about 1 inch in front of the angle of the L. lower jaw.
Vital changes locally and in the tissues beneath as a consequence of sudden constriction.
No ecchymoses in the face, or indeed, elsewhere.
No marks of restraint.
1 hour.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION

Skull ... ... ...

Basic Meninges

Mouth, tongue,
Oesophagus ... ...

Larynx, Trachea, Lungs

Pericardium, Heart and blood vessels ... ...

Stomach and contents ...

Peritoneum
Intestines, etc. ...

Liver, and Gall bladder

Spleen.

Kidneys and Ureters
Bladder etc. ... ... ...

Generative organs

Fracture - dislocation of the spine at C2 with a 2 inch gap and transverse separation of the spinal cord at the same level.

Fracture of both wings of the Hyoid and R. wing of the Thyroid cartilage, larynx also fractured.

Air passages clear and lungs quite free from disease or other change. No engorgement. No asphyxial changes.

No organic changes. No petechiae or other evidence of organic change.

Small food residue, and odour of brandy. No disease.

Normal.

Terminal congestion only.

Normal.

Slight terminal congestion only.

Lower abdominal operation scar for ectopic pregnancy operation in L. tube, now healed.

No pregnancy.

Other remarks ...