After Death Definition of Death UNIFORM DETERMINATION OF

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 Disposal Burial • 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 Disposal Burial • Tom M Wages Funeral Services, LLC located in Lawrenceville, Georgia

Body Disposal Burial • 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 Disposal Burial • 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 Disposal Burial • Although incorrect, many people use the terms coffin and casket interchangeably. • A casket is rectangular and the lid is hinged for viewing.

Body Disposal Burial • 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 Disposal Burial

Body Disposal Burial • 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 Disposal Burial • Greensprings Natural Cemetery

Body Disposal Burial • 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 Disposal Burial • 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 Disposal Cremation • 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 Disposal Mummification • 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 Disposal Mummification • 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 Disposal Mummification

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 Disposal Stuffed • 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 Disposal Lye • 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 reautopsied. A cremated body is destroyed and all evidence of foul play is gone.