X-Message-Number: 11562
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 12:24:54 +0100
From:  (John de Rivaz)
Subject: Re: Muder by autopsy

In article: <>  Olaf Henny 
<> writes:
> > Suicide can't be that hard to do at home or near the end station, 
> > but how without damage for the rest of the procedure?
> 
> It will draw an investigation c/w autopsy as surely as night follows day.
>

I am sure you are right.

Maybe this is a totally stupid idea, but perhaps discussion on this mailing 
list could make it grow into something positive:

We could consider methods to make autopsy difficult for the authorities, 
whether in the case of suicide or more generally.

For example,

A public letter is written by the deceased to the coroner and also to any 
pathologist likely to actually cut him up. Relatives would be asked to write 
the officials' names into sheets that were printed pre-portem and actually 
signed by the deceased. Copies would be sent or given to the officals 
concerned and to the public media, in all instances together with the best 
set of affidavits by scientists which state that cryonics might work.

This letter would remind the offical concerned of the Hypocratic Oath, which 
includes "do no harm".  It may also remind the recipient of certain cases 
where officials have been reprimanded, or even sued and punished, for making 
wrong medical decisions in past times were some opinion had already been 
expressed that what they were doing was wrong. 

If it were possible to do so without sounding too agressive, it could point 
out that the cryonics movement is big enough and ready to take such action 
just as soon as research proves that revival could be possible one day. Work 
at 21CM could be mentioned, and the point made that a much gfreater level of 
evidence of the efficay of cryopreservation could be within the time frame 
of the people concerned. Even if they felt confident of winning it, few 
would want their retirement marred by years of sleepless nights caused by a 
long media sensitive court case.

Such as course of action may not be absolutely effective for any specified 
individual, but even if it made one or two officals ask to be excused from 
their grizzly duties on grounds of conscience it could start a slide that 
could turn into an avalanche as the inevitable advance of technology make 
cryonics seem more and more credible.

-- 
Sincerely, John de Rivaz
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