When should we use dead bodies?

Great Debates
1

Searched for this, didn’t find it.

I’ve been reading a very interesting book called Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach, and it mentions that there is a real stigma against using cadavers to test weapons, among other things. My question is, do you think that they should be used to, say, test landmine protection gear, or bulletproof vests?

Put more simply, what limits should we put on the uses of dead bodies to advance legit science?

My opinon: If using my dead body will stop someone from dying, then feel free. :cool:

2

Great book. It convinced me to donate my body. I am a retired Army guy. I would be pleased and proud if the Army could advance its research by blowing up my body.

By the way, how does one donate a body? Mom dies in the hospital and you dial an 800 number or what?

3

I have no problem using bodies to test weapons. I do have a problem with cadaver dealers making tens of thousands of dollars from my donation, and my family never sees a nickle of it. If they are going to run a business using me as their raw material, they damn well better pay my estate a royalty comensurate with their profits.

No donations from me.

4

Hey, when did my name change?

Anyway, my assumption from the book is that you just donate it to science. Not sure if you can specifically say where, though.

As a former Army man, would you allow them to test bullets on your corpse? Seeing as that’s finding better ways to make more dead bodies?

5

Yep, shoot away, no problem. (Not to be glib, but I wrestled with those moral issues long ago.)

Was it in Stiff, or some other book where the author mentioned that crash test dummies for infants are fairly primitive because so few intact (but dead) infants are donated to science. Probably a problem with no solution.

6

Yeah, I think it was that one.

Fear, if you knew without a doubt that the people recieving your body (say a university) were 100% legit, would you do it?

7

By legit, do you mean “not for obscene profit”? Probably. I just object to the business model that preys on the generosity of grieving family members.

8

I really don’t care what happens to my corpse. If a company makes lots of money from it, so be it. If they want to use it to test weapons or landmines, all jolly good. At least I’ll be doing something useful.

9

. . . Not a necrophilia thread . . . Never mind, carry on.

10

You can contact a teaching hospital in your area and they can give you all the details (trying checking their web site).

11

Sorry to disappoint. I wonder, do necro’s find zombie movies turn them on to some extent?

12

I’d say most likely not. From what I have read about necrophilia, the inertness of the corpse is one of the things that is attractive.

13

So, they probably get off to movies starring Hugh Grant instead…

14

Don’t you mean “never mind carrion”?