X-Message-Number: 13514
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 08:35:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: PR on neuros versus brain only

In Message #13504 "George Smith" <> wrote:

> (2) The viewing of the body in a funeral setting is unaffected by whether or
> not the brain was previously removed in autopsy.  I always took great care
> in avoiding incisions which could even remotely impact the face.  This is
> also standard procedure.  Therefore the appearance of the body is not
> disfigured when presented for "viewing" by the mortician.  This therefore
> has a minimum PR negative impact in my opinion.
>
  This was my thinking as well. To be a practical very low cost
alternative to whole body, whole body perfusion with cryoprotectants 
would have to be omitted. Some tests would have to be performed to see 
how well alternative cryoprotectant procedures involving only the brain 
could be. For example rapid dehydration of a brain in an anhydrous
ethylene glycol/glycerol solution, which is circulated
through a silica gel bead filter might be a very inexpensive way to
prevent ice crystal damage. However it is unclear how toxic such a 
procedure would be in practice to neurons.

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