After Death
Dec 16, 2015
After Death
Definition of Death• UNIFORM DETERMINATION OF DEATH
ACT
• Irreversible cessation of circulation of blood in the body
• Irreversible cessation of all respiratory functions
• Irreversible cessation of all function of the entire brain (including the brain stem)
Death masks• Death Masks show
the facial expressions immediately after death.
• They are used for sculptures, effigies or veneration.
Death Mask of Lenin
Autopsy Autopsies are
mandatory when the death:
• Is a Homicide• Is Unexplained• Is Sudden • Occurs in any
prisoner or child• Occurs while
hospitalized
Before Body Disposal
• Organ donation – the removal of tissues from a recently deceased body or a living donor.
• Organs, tissues, stem cells and blood and platelets may be donated.
• Most people can be donors (HIV positive, cancer active or systemic infection cannot donate).
Before Body Disposal (cont)
• The organs that may be donated are the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the intestines.
• Donated organs must be transplanted within 6-72 hours and cannot be stored.
• Tissues, stem cells, blood and platelets may be stored for later use.
Before Body Disposal (cont)
• Currently, 99,450 people are on the waiting list for a donation.
Body Disposal• There are many opinions
about the correct way to dispose of a body.
• These opinions may be influenced by religion, fear, cultural beliefs and taboos.
• Methods of disposal include:– Burial
• Eco-Cemetery
• At sea
• Sky burial
– Cremation– Mummification– Medical Research– Stuffed– Lye– Freeze dried
Body DisposalBurial
• After death, most families use the services of a funeral home.
• A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families.
• The funeral home will embalm the body and help with burial arrangements.
• The word burial comes from the word birgan which means to conceal.
The Process of Embalming
• Embalming is done to delay decomposition and allow time for the funeral.
• Blood and body fluids are removed and replaced with embalming fluid.
Body DisposalBurial
• Tom M Wages Funeral Services, LLC located in Lawrenceville, Georgia
Body DisposalBurial
• A coffin is the general term for the container in which a corpse is buried.
• Coffins have been made of clay, stone, papier-mache, turtle shells, baskets, fabrics, and metals.
• Coffins are sculpted to the body shape.
Body DisposalBurial
• For many years, coffins were a symbol of social status.
• The poor were buried in a shroud.
• However, the poor were transported to the cemetery in a slip-coffin.
• A slip-coffin had a hinged bottom to allow the body to drop into the grave.
• The coffin was then returned to the church for reuse.
Body DisposalBurial
• Although incorrect, many people use the terms coffin and casket interchangeably.
• A casket is rectangular and the lid is hinged for viewing.
Body DisposalBurial
• The term cemetery means sleeping chamber.
• While both are burial grounds, a cemetery and graveyard should not be used interchangeably.
• A graveyard is next to a place of worship.
• A cemetery may be located anywhere and is not affiliated with any religion.
Body DisposalBurial
Body DisposalBurial
• An eco-cemetery (aka green burial ground or natural burial ground) is a new alternative place for burial.
• The body is not embalmed and is placed in a biodegradable coffin or a shroud.
• The body is returned to the earth to decompose or recycle naturally.
• Trees or other natural objects are used to mark the grave.
Body DisposalBurial
• Greensprings Natural Cemetery
Body DisposalBurial
• A burial at sea disposes of human remains into the ocean usually from a ship or boat.
• In the United States, ashes have to be scattered at least 3 miles from shore and a body must be dropped at least 600 ft deep.
Body DisposalBurial
• Once common in Tibet, a sky burial involves cutting a body into small pieces and placing these pieces on top of a mountain to give “alms to the birds”.
• It was considered a bad omen if the birds did not eat all of the remains.
Body DisposalCremation
• Cremation reduces a corpse by burning.
• This occurs in a crematorium.
• Temperatures must reach 870-980 °C (1600-1800 °F) to totally disintegrate the body.
• The “ashes” are placed into a container chosen by the family.
Body DisposalMummification
• Mummification involves two steps: embalming and wrapping.
• All organs (except the heart) are removed and placed into canopic jars.
• The body is covered in natron to remove all fluids.
Body DisposalMummification
• After 40-70 days, the natron is removed and the body is rubbed with oils.
• Next, the mummy is wrapped using a specific method.
• First the head and neck are wrapped with strips of fine linen. Then the fingers and the toes are individually wrapped.
• The arms and legs are wrapped separately and then tied together.
• Finally, the body the wrapped and placed into a sarcophagus.
Body DisposalMummification
Body Disposal Medical Research
• Bodies cannot be purchased.
• The donation must be arranged before death.
• A medical school or research facility will use the body for teaching purposes or disease studies.
• Bodies can be rejected and then the family would be responsible for burial.
Body Disposal The Body Farm
• The Body Farm is a research facility that studies human decomposition.
• There is no cost to the family if they live within 200 miles of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Body DisposalStuffed
• Jeremy Bentham asked that his body be dissected and the skeleton used to create a stuffed figure that sat in a chair.
• His bones are covered in his clothes and topped with a wax head.
Body DisposalLye
• Bodies are dissolved in lye so they may be flushed down a drain.
• This process occurs in a stainless steel cylinder that is similar to a pressure cooker.
Body Disposal Freeze Dried
• The corpse is frozen to minus 18 degrees Celsius and then submerged in liquid nitrogen.
• The body becomes very brittle.
• Vibrations then cause the body to break into organic powder.
Body Disposal Choice
• Many times, the method of body disposal is chosen in order to destroy evidence.
• For example, buried bodies may be exhumed with a court order and re-autopsied. A cremated body is destroyed and all evidence of foul play is gone.