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.