From Jill Breivik
by e-mail
Pythons kill their prey by squeezing them gently around the chest, tightening
the squeeze a little every time the unfortunate animal breathes out, thus making
it increasingly difficult for it to breathe in again. Eventually it dies.
I think this is the reason why Chris Goy suggests those trying to squeeze as
many people as possible into small spaces should breath in first (Forum, 8
February, p 47 and Letters, 29 March, p 55). If they did the opposite it might
be possible to fit in more people, but the body count might be too high when
they were emptied out after the experiment was over.
Breathing in first ensures the minimum breathing space for each person to
sustain life.
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