X-Message-Number: 17798 Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 11:33:35 -0400 (EDT) From: Charles Platt <> Subject: experiments with people Mike Donahue suggests performing experiments using human cadavers. The problem is, Mike, we are unlikely to have an opportunity to administer ideal protocol (immediate cooling after legal death, cardio-pulmonary support, washout with an organ-preservation solution, etc.) before perfusion with cryoprotectant and cooldown to LN temperature. I'm going beyond my very limited medical knowledge, here, but I believe any experiment of this type would receive the cadaver without proper controls or full knowledge of its history. I doubt, for instance, that the cadaver would be received with a chart showing core temperature since legal death. (Incidentally, a similar complaint has been made about CI studies of sheep heads, where precise data regarding the "head history" are not known.) Still, I recall that Mike Darwin investigated the possibility of obtaining cadavers. I don't remember what happened as a result of this initiative. Your point that the donated cadaver would become a cryopatient after the cryonics protocol was administered is interesting. I tend to think that any cadaver acquired for experimental purposes would have endured a long period of ischemia causing damage that I would consider to be beyond repair. But if one was able to apply good cryonics protocol immediately following death (a very hypothetical situation!) I guess you're right: Ethical considerations would arise about subsequent disposition of the remains. --CP PS. For those who have inquired about the Alcor newsletter: The text has been checked by Alcor, has been made into pages, and is being printed and bound this weekend. I will send a package containing the finished copies to Alcor on Monday. Alcor has to label and remail the individual copies to members, because naturally Alcor's membership list is confidential. I believe a .pdf version of the newsletter will be placed on Alcor's web site. This version will be readable via Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available for free download on the Web. I am hoping that the newsletter will be stored in two versions: Separate pages for individual download, and all eight pages for anyone who has a faster connection and wants to grab the whole thing. I may also mirror the newsletter at my own site, www.cryonews.com. An announcement will be made on CryoNet when the files are available. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17798