X-Message-Number: 1196
Date: 17 Sep 92 00:33:46 EDT
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: Re: cryonics: #1186 - #1187

To David Stodolsky:
I agree with the other correspondent that your suggestion won't fly.
Furthermore, perhaps I am at the outer range of opinion on the issue
of signing up terminal patients: I'm against it. If it IS to be done,
then the entry fee should be SIGNIFICANTLY higher.

How do we estimate that someone is terminal? 1) If they do not fund
their suspension by life insurance policy, then they should be 
requested to have a complete physical at THEIR expense by a doctor
or doctors chosen by Alcor. 2) If they do fund their suspension by
life insurance, or even partly by life insurance TAKEN OUT AT THE TIME
OF THEIR JOINING then we can assume they are not terminal. Anyone who
joins using life insurance taken out more than 1 year ago would need
to be subject to the requirements of 1).

I know that these people give practice to our suspension team. I
feel that it would be better all around if our team(s) practiced on
animals --- the legal risks for human beings are significant. Moreover,
my own observation is that REAL suspensions put strain on the Alcor
staff which with their (comparatively) small number means a quite
considerable falloff of their performance in other areas important to
Alcor, like administration.

				Best and long life,
					Thomas Donaldson

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