Nicolae Minovici

Nicolae Minovici
Born (1868-10-23)23 October 1868
Râmnicu Sărat
Died 26 June 1941(1941-06-26) (aged 72)
Known for Research in forensic science, criminology

Nicolae Minovici (23 October 1868 – 26 June 1941) was a Romanian forensic scientist and criminologist who served as head of his country's anthropometric service.[1][2] He is known for his studies investigating connections between tattooing and criminal behaviour,[2] as well as his research on hanging and its physiological effects on the human body.[3][4] He was the founder of the Legal Medicine Association of Romania and the publisher of the Romanian journal of Legal Medicine.[5] He also served as mayor of Băneasa, Bucharest.[1]

Early life and education

Minovici was born in Râmnicu Sărat on 23 October 1868.[1] He attended the Saint Sava National College and had two older brothers, Mina and Ștefan.[1] In 1898 he obtained his Ph.D. in Forensic science. He also took additional courses in psychiatry and pathological anatomy.[1]

Research

His research on the effects of hanging on the human body included performing multiple hanging experiments on himself, each lasting for a period of approximately five seconds.[6] Minovici performed twelve hanging experiments involving himself as the subject.[3] He used a dynamometer attached to a knot which he then tied around his neck and experimented with various positions of the knot around his neck, observing associated phenomena such as vision disturbances, change of skin colouring and ringing in his ears as well as the speed of the onset of these symptoms. He also attempted between six and seven hangings with the assistance of his aides and only experienced pain on the occasion when his feet lost contact with the ground. One of his assistants pulled the rope while loudly counting the time allotted for the experiment.[3][7]

In the initial experiments the knot was not constricting and his feet were raised two metres above ground.[7] In this configuration, after a progressive series of experiments each lasting longer than its predecessor, he was able to remain hanging for a maximum of twenty five seconds.[7] In his final experiment using a regular, constricting, hangman's knot he was able to stand only for four seconds, before he gave the signal to his aides to stop the experiment. During that experiment his feet had remained in contact with the ground. Nevertheless, he experienced pain, while swallowing, for a month following that experiment.[7]

He also performed choking experiments on volunteers by applying pressure on their carotid arteries and jugular veins for up to five seconds, until the faces of his subjects became red. During their post-experiment accounts, the volunteers recounted experiences such as vision problems, heat sensation in the head, as well as paraesthesias such as a tingling and numbing sensation in multiple places of their bodies.[3]

His research on hanging was published in a 200-page work titled Study on hanging, in two language editions. The Romanian edition was published in 1904 while the French language one was published in 1905.[1]

Death

Minovici died in 1941 from an illness affecting his vocal cords.[1] He died a bachelor, bequeathing his estate, including his home, which was built by architect Cristofi Cerchez,[8] and a collection of Romanian folk art, to his country.[9] His home is now an ethnological museum.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Prof. Dr. Nicolae Minovici, founder of The Emergency Services 1868 – 1941". Minovici Foundation.
  2. 1 2 Peter Becker; Richard F. Wetzell (9 January 2006). Criminals and Their Scientists: The History of Criminology in International Perspective. Cambridge University Press. p. 356. ISBN 978-0-521-81012-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Françoise Cochet (1 July 2010). "Choking Game" and other Fainting Games: Practices, Consequences and Prevention - APEAS International Symposium. Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-2-296-26041-2. wrote the Romanian Nicolas Minovici, who hanged himself twelve times for the sake of scientific progress.
  4. ↑ Havelock Ellis (6 February 2012). Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 The Evolution of Modesty, The Phenomena of Sexual Periodicity, Auto-Erotism. Tredition. p. 279. ISBN 978-3-8424-9842-6.
  5. ↑ Dan Dermengiu. "Letter from the Editor". Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine.
  6. ↑ Burkhard Madea (17 March 2014). Handbook of Forensic Medicine. Wiley. pp. 1196–. ISBN 978-1-118-57062-3.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Alex Boese (5 June 2012). Electrified Sheep: Glass-eating Scientists, Nuking the Moon, and More Bizarre Experiments. St. Martin's Press. p. 476. ISBN 978-1-250-01510-5.
  8. ↑ "Muzeul de Arta Populara "Dr. Nicolae Minovici"". Minovici (in Romanian). Bucharest, Romania: Asociaţia Prietenii Muzeelor Minovici. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Stephen Spender; Irving Kristol (1963). Encounter. 21. Encounter Limited. p. 96. This was built by Professor Nicolae Minovici, a fashionable doctor and philanthropist, who died unmarried in 1941, ... but an experiment: the Professor used to hang himself from time to time in the presence of doctors to test the effects
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