Three University of Michigan students from China got killed in a single car accident a few days ago. The paper suggests they were texting and ran off the road.
The paper says they quickly got an official message from the Chinese government, “no autopsies to be performed”. Is that a Chinese custom, to not perform autopsies? Is it religious or cultural?
I don’t know what state law says, but historically medical examiners have reserved the right to perform an autopsy if there is a compelling interest in establishing cause of death, despite any cultural/religious concerns.
If there is nothing suspicious about death(s) in a particular case and no important public issue to be resolved, I doubt most MEs would press the issue.
I don’t think Chinese culture prohibits autopsies. though it may be uncomfortable with them and Chinese funeral rites can be very elaborate (though less so for younger unmarried people.)
The cynic in me says China just doesn’t want it publicized if alcohol was involved. China can be very concerned with image.
Speculation - there was no suspicious circumstances about the deaths. The cause was pretty clear. The Americans saw no need to perform an autopsy, but would have done so if requested by the Chinese. They sent a message to the Chinese govt, asking them if they wanted an autopsy performed. The reply that they indicates that they do not make any such request. It was not a case of trying to *forbid *an autopsy.
Traditionally and culturally the Chinese are not big on autopsies. The thought behind it is that they want to be buried/cremated “whole.” The vast majority of people in China are cremated.
One example is the eunichs. If you went back to the time of the eunichs (up untill 1911). Eunichs preserved their bits so they could be buried whole come death.
Didn’t China restrict medical schools to using executed prisoners into the 20th century?
Moderator Note
Welcome to the SDMB, autopsyenthusiast.
While we don’t have any prohibitions against things that are not work safe (like the extreme gore of the autopsy video you linked to), we do ask that you follow what we call the “two click rule” and do not link directly to this type of content. You can link to a page that requires you to click on another link to get to the desired content, for example, instead of directly linking to said content. You can also put spoiler tags around the link, as I have done to your post, which also satisfies the two click requirement.
Also note that the thread you are replying to dates back to 2010. We tend to refer to old threads like this that have been revived as zombies, so don’t be too surprised if you get a few zombie jokes as a result.
If this is going to be the new clickbait, I may have to give up the Internet.
Whoever autopsyenthusiast is, I’d lay odds he/she is not a hospital-based pathologist.
Come up to the lab
And see what’s on the slab
I see you shiver with antici
pation
Autopsies…
Zombie jokes…
Naaah, too easy.
Three threads on the same topic in one morning…
We’re still dissecting your motives.
[Comment on disappeared troll post removed.]
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Well, thanks for clearing that up.
Moderator Action
That’s enough.
From the SDMB Registration Agreement:
While we generally allow a very wide range of topics here, the SDMB does not exist to serve as an outlet for your personal enthusiasm for the autopsies of young, Chinese females.
Thread closed.