X-Message-Number: 7412
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 10:49:17 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: Autopsy

Randy Smith is quite rightly concerned about autopsy (among other nasty 
things that can happen). I remember how stunned I was when I learned the 
basic fact that most cases of "unnatural" death are autopsied, to gather
evidence before the body deteriorates, just in case there are subsequent 
allegations of foul play, litigation for damages, or whatever.

The standard cryonics textbook answer is to contact your local coroner or
medical examiner RIGHT NOW and establish a friendly rapport on behalf of
cryonicists in the area. Find out if the guy has any interest in cryonics
and is flexible about the need to autopsy. 

Of course, it is rare for cryonicists to take the trouble to do this. I 
confess that where I live, I haven't done it myself, and so far as I 
know, no one else in New York has taken the trouble. Just one more 
example of the old death-denial syndrome, I guess.

We all like to imagine ourselves dying without TOO much pain, with our
brains still functioning, in a nice friendly place (home hospice,
perhaps), with just enough warning to have the cryonics team standing by.
Well, apparently there is a 1 in 4 chance of this occurring. 

Just one reason out of many why, to me, cryonics is a longshot.

Thanks Randy for your kind words about CryoCare Report. If anyone wants a 
copy, send email to Carlotta Pengelley <>. I 
don't take much credit for the current issue, since I didn't write any of 
it and barely edited it. Mike Darwin, Bob Ettinger, and Paul Wakfer were 
the primary contributors. Erico Narita did the design.

--Charles Platt
CryoCare

PS. The need for some sort of very simple cardiac monitor or motion
detector is EXTREME, especially for elderly people living alone. I have
some ability when it comes to writing software, but I hate messing around
with hardware. At one time Keith Henson was interested in creating such a
device; I have also spoken to Keith Lofstrom, who is an intergrated
circuit designer. Keith L. had some excellent suggestions, but they
involved more work than I have time to do right now, and hardware that
seemed a bit more exotic than I had hoped for. Keith also stated that he
felt a motion detector would be too easily triggered by random
events--drapes blowing in the wind, pets, etc. 

I'm not so sure. A motion detector in the bedroom, attached to the bed and
triggered if the patient doesn't move for 30 or 60 minutes, connected with
an autodialler, seems potentially practical to me. If anyone has the
ability to put something like this together, it could undoubtedly save
some cryonicists in the future. Naturally, the design should not be
proprietary and should be made available to all cryonics organizations. 


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