Gas Chamber

• Apparatus for killing humans or other animals with gas. Consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced.
• Common used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used.
• Gas chambers were used as a method of execution.
• The original idea was to surprise the prisoner by gassing him in his cell as he slept without prior warning.
• Prisoners are advised to take deep breaths after the gas is released as this will considerably shorten their suffering. Easy for the Warden to say, no doubt, but much harder for the prisoner to intentionally inhale the gas designed to kill them even if they accept the logic of the advice they are given.
• A study of the execution records of 113 prisoners executed at San Quentin showed that the average time taken to kill them was 9.3 minutes. The prisoner will usually lose consciousness between one and three minutes after the gas hits their face and the doctor will pronounce them dead in around 10 to 12 minutes. An exhaust fan then sucks the gas out of the chamber. Next, the corpse is sprayed with ammonia, which neutralises traces of the cyanide that may remain. After about half an hour, staff enterthe chamber, wearing gas masks and rubber gloves. Their training manual advises them to ruffle the victim’s hair to release and trapped cyanide gas before removing him.