Scaphism 2.0: Execution by Compost

The Farmer as an Evil Bastard

While the kind farmer knows that compost gets up to 60°C quickly killing the victim, it is only a matter of time before a farmer realizes that compost stays cooler the closer to the surface you get; so, instead of burying the victim vertically for a quick death, the evil farmer would propose that you bury the victim horizontally so that he can maintain a temperature on the victim just shy of causing a heat stroke.

The victim's skin would slowly burn and blister over a longer period of time (from the caustic nature of compost as much as anything). As blisters start to rupture, pathogens and decomposers would start to invade the victim's body. At this point fever would start to set in, so the evil farmer would want to strip away some of the compost allowing the victim to stay cool enough to stay alive. Ecoil poisoning will also cause the victim to begin vomiting and experiencing diarrhea, which he will be trapped in as well. Being unable to fight off the constant invasion of bacteria to the bloodstream hemolytic uremic syndrome will set in causing complete kidney failure. Toxins will then continue to build up in the blood stream until reaching fatal levels.

Death from total kidney failure without dialysis in a normal scenario would take at least a week to kill; though, it may be accelerated in this case (further research is needed not advised).

The smart victim will try to inhale their own vomit at the first signs of ecoil poisoning for a quick end; so, burying them upside down or sideways should help keep them from taking the "easy way out".

If you are talking about a medically advanced civilization. The person could probably be administered enough antibiotics and an dialysis to extend punishment, in this case I suspect the victim might survive until such point that the beatles and other decomposers in the soil cause enough hemorrhaging that he bleeds out.

Your final option if you really want it to last is to not leave him in the compost at all. Instead, you could torture a person indefinitely by burying them until the point they start getting sick, then pull them out. Wait until their infections pass, then put them back in again since most people will naturally recover from ecoil poisoning on their own as long as you don't keep them buried in the stuff.

You may also start to see a culture emerge here of bribing your executioner. Throughout history, people would often pay their own executioner to make sure the axe is freshly sharpen, to poison them before crucifixion, or other such things to ensure a more merciful death. In this case, the farmers may take bribes to make sure the pitchfork "accidentally" impales them while sifting the compost or to introduce poisons to the compost that might lead to a faster death.

The farmer is a kindly soul

I am serious here. The compost will have to get dug up and either inadvertently or deliberately turned in order to bury the victim in it. Why is this significant? Because freshly turned compost gets hot, 60 degrees C or more. Even if the sadists plug in an IV drip to prevent dehydration, with the entire body buried the only significant heat loss will be through the head. Result: once the heat ramps up to over 40-50 degrees the victim will suffer from extreme heat stroke and be dead in a few hours. Still a stupidly cruel method of execution, but shorter duration than is being aimed for - daily feeding will not be a factor in the victim's rate of death.

The farmer would know about the temperature compost gets to and the effects of heat exhaustion / heat stroke, but obviously feels no reason to educate the ignorant city-bred torturers. The attending medical professional may be able to work it out from a knowledge of basic biology, but given that they are ready to provide mild painkillers(!) it's fairly clear that they're not on board with the long-duration torture and death program either, especially as they need to hang around next to a compost heap until the victim dies. I like the idea that the medical professional and farmer cooked up this idea together to minimise the cruelty around them - the medic helps the victim on their way in the first few hours, then keeps sending back daily fake status reports of the victim's ongoing suffering while helping out as a vet on the farm.