http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/137807...uture_of_death/



"Dissolving Bodies Could be the Future of Death
Posted on: Friday, 9 May 2008, 00:35 CDT

Humans have either buried or burned their dead since the beginning of civilization, but now a new option is gaining interest in mortuary science circles—dissolving bodies in lye and flushing the residue down the drain.

Alkaline hydrolysis is a process that uses lye, 300-degree heat and 60 pounds of pressure per square inch to destroy bodies in big stainless-steel cylinders that are similar to pressure cookers. It was developed in the U.S. 16 years ago to dispose of animal carcasses.

As far as anyone knows, no funeral homes in the U.S. or any other part of the world currently offer this service. Only two known U.S. medical centers use it on human bodies, and only on donated research cadavers.

But many in the funeral industry believe it could one day rival burial and cremation due to its environmental advantages.

The Funeral Service Insider newsletter called it a “game-changing technology in the funeral service”.

Psychopaths and dictators have used acid or lye to torture or dispose of their victims in the past and getting public acceptance for such a bizarre process may be the biggest hurdle. Sen. Kemp Hannon sponsored a bill to make alkaline hydrolysis available to the public in New York state, where it was commonly referred to as “Hannibal Lecter’s bill”—a play on Hannon’s name and the sadistic movie character.
"We believe this process, which enables a portion of human remains to be flushed down a drain, to be undignified," said Patrick McGee, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester.

Barbara French, an 81-year-old State Representative, said she would consider alkaline hydrolysis.

"I'm getting near that age and thought about cremation, but this is equally as good and less of an environmental problem. It doesn't bother me any more than being burned up. Cremation, you're burned up. I've thought about it, but I'm dead," said French.

Alkaline hydrolysis leaves liquid remains as well as a dry bone residue similar to cremated remains. Families would have the option of having it buried in a cemetery or keeping it in an urn.

The liquid remains have the consistency of motor oil and a strong ammonia smell, but proponents say it’s sterile and can be safely poured down the drain as long as operations have the necessary permits.

The process doesn’t require the space needed for cemetery burials and it could ease environmental concerns about crematorium emissions, including carbon dioxide and mercury from dental fillings.

Alkaline hydrolysis has been used since the mid-1990s to dispose of research cadavers at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. has used the process since 2005."

That sounds kind of wicked... The body is just a shell afterwards anyways so it's not a big idea to me... Though I like the idea of getting cremated yet to be spread out in a forest or something. Plus they say this leaves behind remains... Cremation is a one time deal.

This does not fit in with my family traditions.

NOWAY

I prefer burial or cremation

I think it should be available. The end result is very similar to cremains, so only the process differs. I'm sure its the liquid bodily remains being washed down a drain that's most disturbing to some people. The fact that it is not traditional could also be a negative factor. I think its prime time to incorporate this process into the funeral industry. It would do well at this point because all of the more progressive baby boomers are going to be passing in the next few decades, and I believe that they're some of the most likely to embrace it.

Well, it's not like you'd be in a position to care if they did it you.

--Jaylemurph

i think that's a great idea actually. it's kind of funny i was just thinking today as i drove past a cemetary that there are so many people in this world and only so much disposable space that can be used on dead bodies. we still need space for the living!
i personally would prefer cremation though, and then for my ashes to be scattered... it's kinda romantic, ya know?

Well!!!!!

eg-: The Egyptions put sooo much effort in preserving those dead so long ago.
They made Great teracotta Armies in Asia to give insight to their history.
Historical and medical Museums teach us and show us of how far weve come in the artistic and medical world.


And look at us now

We dig them up and are facinated with the processes and history of it all.

If we were to place all of these wonderful attributes together to conserving the dead for the better, then death might just be that little bit easier to deal with.

Plastination for example, preservation for the benefit of medical Science, Art for the beauty and interest in life and the human body and a memorial of the celebration of lives that once were.

"Plactinate me, study me, admire me, line me up in a procession of ranks like an Army.
Bury me or show me off in a museum, either way in a thousand years someone will benefit from it at some stage".
This is as close as any of us are gunna get to so called immortality, so why dont we just lap it up.
Click Signature link below.

"How cool if they had of Plastinated Elvis". Those hips hyperthetcaly speaking could have broken hearts for ever. lol

I don't like the idea of flushing the body away like that

So, paying for a permit makes it okay to dump liquified human remains in the river? I mean... this stuff could end up in our drinking water.

Mix it into some plastic and give them a take home bust mold.

Currently - I think I prefer the Cryogenics route. On ice for eternity.

Creamation for me... it's WAAAAAYYY more Rock-n-Roll

Fire, fire, fire!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh1ypNyHRmA A song to get cremated to imo

Well, I guess that solves the problem that those who don't want to be burned or buried seem to have... >.>

Oh heeeeel yeah! I will put it in my will that a 100,000 WATT P.A. system is required to blast that song at the crematorium while multiple living friends perform speaker dives into piles of meat and broken glass. Total carnage... ROCK AND ROLL MANNNNnnnnnn!!!!!!

Aaaaaa....I think i'll pass. I would rather be put in the woods and let the animals have me. I'm dead of corse.

Hmmm.
Sorta reminds me of the blue junk Predator(from the movie) pours on the people and stuff.This is just creepy sounding to me. I'd rather be cremated or cryogenically frozen.

This won't just 'might end up in our water', it will end up in our water. The entire thing's been on a cycle since a little time after the earth began...

lol, reminds me of resident evil 4, the bodies dissolve awaywhen you kill them . But i'd rather be buried. Cause dissolving them is a waste of minerals that could be put in the ground and would make alot of sewers haunted

I agree.

I am to be buried in the forest. So one day I may rise again to roam the woodland abyss.

ZOMBIE GUARDIAN!

I was talking more specifically about the chemicals used. Bad enough to pump corpses full of preservation chemicals for burial in a coffin.

Nothing wrong with decomposed organic material ending up in the water. That's normal.

Then ,...you need to think of your dead self as decomposed organic material. I don't.