Nicolae Minovici: the doctor who hanged himself for science. During the 1st decade of the 20th century Minovici was employed as a professor of forensic science at the State School of Science in Bucharest. He took a comprehensive study of death by hanging himself inspired by his research. He wanted to find out 1st hand what it would feel like to die this way.
The 1st picture shows the auto-asphyxiation device he created for the 1st research method. He would lay down on a cot and tug on one end of the rope and the noose would tighten. He lasted only six seconds before consciousness began to slip away, forcing him to stop.
He brought his assistants to help him be lifted into the air while the noose would tighten around his neck. During his 1st try he didn’t last but a couple of seconds before he signaled frantically to be let down. After practicing he was able to endure up to 25 seconds of this.
The 2nd picture shows his final stage of research. Hanging himself from the ceiling by a constricting hangman’s knot. A burning pain ripped through his neck when he began his experiment and was so intense he had to signal his assistants to stop it after 4 seconds. He was unable to swallow for an entire month.
