X-Message-Number: 11408
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 18:50:45 -0800
From: Olaf Henny <>
Subject: Thomas Donaldson; Definition of Death

Thomas Donaldson wrote

One of my major concerns when reading that article was not so much, the
lack of comprehension outside of cryonics of *our* definition of death, but
that as the definition of death shifts in the medical establishment, the
margin between legal death and ischemic damage may narrow to such a point,
that it will become much more problematic for timely cryonic suspension,
i.e. the legal definition of death may well shift to a point, when ischemic
damage has already set in, if the Dr. Brears have their way, forcing us all
to move to Oregon.

Best,
Olaf

>To Olaf:

>It is a pity that those who doubt the current definition of death OUTSIDE
>cryonics have failed to notice that we doubt it too. That is our basic
>reason for suspending people. Not only that, but I notice that this bit
>of news came from Vancouver, British Columbia, which has forbidden
>cryonics firms from acting in their state --- one of the few political
>entities, so far, which has done that, at least explicitly.

Yeah, that is my chosen home province.  The most beutiful place in the
world, but with a government hostile toward cryonics in its recent history.

One of my major concerns when reading that article was not so much, the
lack of comprehension outside of cryonics of *our* definition of death, but
that as the definition of death shifts in the medical establishment, the
margin between legal death and ischemic damage may narrow to such a point,
that it will become much more problematic for timely cryonic suspension,
i.e. the legal definition of death may well shift to a point, when ischemic
damage has already set in, if the Dr. Brears have their 
way, forcing us all to move to Oregon.

Best,
Olaf

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