CRUCIFIXION, DEATH BY (kru'srific'shiln, deth bi).
(1) Causes. Physically considered it is to be attributed to the sympathetic fever which is ex cited by the wounds, and aggravated by exposure to the weather, privation of water, and the pain fully constrained position of the body. Traumatic fever corresponds, in intensity and in character, to the local inflammation of the wound. In the first stage, while the inflammation of the wound is characterized by heat, swelling, and great pain, the fever is highly inflammatory ; and the sufferer complains of heat, throbbing headache, intense thirst, restlessness, and anxiety. As soon as sup puration sets in, the fever somewhat abates, and gradually ceases as suppuration diminishes and the stage of cicatrization approaches. But if the wound be prevented from healing, and suppuration continue, the fever assumes a hectic character, and will sooner or later exhaust the powers of life. When, however, the inflammation of the wound is so intense as to produce mortification, nervous de pression is the immediate consequence ; and if the cause of this excessive inflammation of the wound still continues, as is the case in crucifixion, the sufferer rapidly sinks. He is no longer sensible of pain, but his anxiety and sense of prostration are excessive; hiccup supervenes, his skin is moistened with a cold, clammy sweat, and death ensues. It is in this manner that death on the cross must have taken place in an ordinarily healthy constitution. The wounds in themselves were not fatal ; but, as long as the nails remained in them, the inflammation must have increased in intensity until it produced gangrene.
(2) Instances. De la Condamine witnessed the crucifixion of two women of those fanatic Jansenists called Convulsionaires. One of them, who had been crucified thrice before, remained on the cross for three hours. They suffered most pain from the operation of extracting the nails; and it was not until then that they lost more than a few drops of blood from their wounds. After they were taken down, they seemed to suf fer little, and speedily recovered (Correspond. de Grimm et Diderot, ii :75).
(3) Probable Recovery. The probabilities of recovery after crucifixion would of course depend on the degree of constitutional irritation that had been already excited. Josephus (Vita, 74) relates that of three of his friends, for whom he had obtained a release from the cross, only one sur vived. The period at which death occurred was very variable, as it depended on the constitution of the sufferer, as well as on the degree of ex posure and the state of the weather. It may, however, be asserted that death would not take place until the local inflammation had run its course; and though this process may be much hastened by fatigue and the exposure to the rays of the sun and the cold night air, it is not completed before forty-eight hours, under or dinary circumstances, and in healthy constitu tions; so that we may consider thirty-six hours to be the earliest period at which crucifixion would occasion death in a healthy adult.
(4) Hunger and Thirst. Eusebius (Hist. Eccles. iii :8) says that many of the martyrs in Egypt, who were crucified with their heads downwards, per ished by hunger. This assertion, however, must not be misunderstood. It was very natural to sup pose that hunger was the cause of death when it was known that no food had been taken, and when, as must have happened in lingering cases of crucifixion, the body was seen to be emaciated. But it has been shown above that the nails in the hands and feet must inevitably have given rise to such a degree of inflammation as to produce mor tification, and ultimately death ; and it is equally certain that food would not, under such circum stances, have contributed to support life. More over, it may be added that after the first few hours, as soon as fever had been fully excited, the sufferer would lose all desire for food. The want of water was a much more important pri vation. It must have caused the sufferer inex pressible anguish, and have contributed in no slight degree to hasten death.
Figurative. (I) Christ is crucified afresh, when his person or office is despised, hated, and blasphemed, or his righteousness and gospel utterly rejected (Heb. vi :6). (2) He is crucified at Rome, or in the Antichristian state, when his person and office are despised, his truth perverted, his righteousness blasphemed, and his people mur dered (Rev. xi :8). (3) The saints are crucified with Christ; in his death he represented them, and, applied to their conscience, this renders them dead to the law, to sin, and to the world, and grad ually effects the death of their indwelling corrup tions (Gal. ii :20). (4) Their old man, or cor rupt lusts, are crucified with him ; the law, which is the strength of sin, being slain by his fulfilment of it ; and bytheir union with his person, and sharing of the views and virtue of his dying love, their indwelling sin is gradually weakened, and they are enabled through the Spirit to mortify the deeds of it (Rom. vi :6; Gal. v :24). (5) By him and his cross they are crucified to the world, and the world to them; by their professed cleaving to him, and the doctrine of his cross, they become contemptible to wicked and worldly men, and are separated from them (Gal. vi :i4)•