Smith’s execution by “nitrogen hypoxia” took around 22 minutes, according to media witnesses, who were led into a viewing room at the William C Holman correctional facility in Atmore shortly before 8 pm local time.

  • sqgl@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    9 months ago

    The article also mentions seizures, but that part is to be expected with any form of extensive brain damage leading to death…

    Is this precisely because it wasn’t pure nitrogen?

    • jarfil@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      Nah, as the brain dies, it gets “damaged”, and that can lead to seizures or whatever. It doesn’t really matter why it’s dying; as long as it stays more or less together, there will be “abnormal activity” until it runs out of energy and the neurons finally depolarize. During “natural death”, the whole body is usually too weak, or too sedated, to show any sign of that, but in otherwise able-bodied individuals… death ain’t pretty.

      • sqgl@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        9 months ago

        Then the question is whether the seizures would wake one from a nitrogen knockout. ie would one be aware of the seizures?

        • jarfil@beehaw.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          9 months ago

          Based on my limited experience with seizures, the oncoming of one can wake one up, but after that they seem to knock one out… so if one was already knocked out in advance, I don’t think they would wake them up?