It's not much worse than regular hanging. Hanging for corporal punishment involves a small drop (by trapdoor for example) that is enough to break the neck. Paralysis and loss of consciousness numbs the pain of the strangulation. There's a simple formula somewhere relating gravity, and the force required to break this certain vertabrae in the neck for a certain weight individual, which in turn severs the spine. Apparently a break to the spine in this location causes almost instant loss of consciousness (hence it being considered a humane method). Too long a drop though can result in decapitation. In prisons and suicides and such employing hanging (popular with males), where the importance of the drop (for pain relief at least) is not understood, death by hanging is simply death by strangulation. Indeed, many suicides by 'hanging' do not involve hanging at all, some individuals simply lean away from the ligature ties around their throat, more a death by leaning. |
GarthVader
