X-Message-Number: 12165 Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 11:31:09 From: "Henry R. Hirsch" <> Subject: My experience with mortuaries July 21, 1999 Before I contracted with Cryonics Institute (CI) for cryonic suspension earlier this year, I checked with local mortuaries to make sure that I could find one that is willing to prepare people for transport to CI. Briefly, it was no problem. Here in Lexington KY, there are two firms which do most of the funerals. I made appointments at both in order to see supervisory personnel rather than sales staff. Neither of the mortuaries had handled a cryonics patient before, but both were willing to cooperate and to keep the information I provided confidential on a "need to know" basis, even within their own organizations. Both called a mortician in Michigan who works with CI in order to find out what is involved in suspension. A special container called a "Ziegler box" is available for transporting unembalmed bodies on ice because certain groups have religious objections to embalming. Normally mortuaries keep a Ziegler box in stock, but it would be expedient to have some warning if one might be needed. The current cost, apart from transportation to CI, is roughly $2000 but will, of course, increase in time with inflation. Perfusion with fluids supplied by CI should be routine and costs less than $500. The representative at one of the mortuaries said that airlines sometimes refuse to fly bodies that are not embalmed. If this should happen, or if the airline schedule should prove inconvenient, he recommended highway transportation for the 6-hour drive to CI. If the weather is bad, he has a 4-wheel drive truck available. All in all, the approach of both mortuaries is impressively professional. Both have been in business for a very long time, one for over 150 years. While they lack the technical skills of a trained cyronics suspension team, I believe that this drawback is compensated by their intimacy with the local community. In the event that medical or governmental authorities were to delay the release of the body, they would be in a far better position than people from out of state to cut through the red tape. Of course, all of the above is anecdotal, but it suggests that the use of mortuaries is entirely practical in the preparation and transport of cryonics patients. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henry R. Hirsch Department of Physiology Phone: (606)323-5438 MS508 Chandler Medical Center Fax: (606)323-1070 University of Kentucky E-Mail: Lexington, KY 40536-0298 USA Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12165