Some religions, and personal beliefs require that everything be buried, i.e.
a relatively intact body. Regardless, personal wishes must be respected. It
is not my body, it is someone elses. My personal beliefs are not important.
It should be up to a WELL informed family what will happen to their loved
ones bodies including all the bits and pieces.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Amos & Theresa [SMTP:atbrooks@snet.net]
> Sent:	February 6, 2001 5:11 PM
> To:	Brennan, Liam
> Cc:	HISTONET
> Subject:	Re: Organ Retention
> 
> Hi,
>     My opinion for what it is worth... Let the dead (or what is left of
> them
> post autopsy) be buried and be done with. There is no real identity to a
> piece
> of tissue in a formalin (or whatever chemical) container. Once the
> individual is
> buried the deal is done. Anything left behind for educational purposes
> will be
> needed neither by the dead nor the living relatives, so why should someone
> have
> a problem with it.
>     The exception to this case would be for any cloning. I think there is
> a
> reasonable common sense limitation there. I am not necessarily opposed to
> cloning humans, I just dont think it should be done without consent.
> Amos Brooks
> 
> "Brennan, Liam" wrote:
> 
> > 6/02/01
> >
> > Histonetters-
> >         Recently in the UK the national press has been focusing on the
> issue
> > of organ retention(particularly baby organs), after post-mortem
> examination,
> > by some hospital pathology departments without the informed consent of
> the
> > relatives. This has been sparked by the issue of a report into the
> > stock-piling of organs for no apparent reason by a pathologist at Alder
> Hey
> > Hospital in Liverpool, and the subsequent revealation by several other
> > hospital's that they retained organs without informed consent of the
> > relatives. This has resulted in hospitals being swamped with phone calls
> > from anxious relatives enquiring if the organs of any of their loved
> ones,
> > who underwent post-mortem examination (some as far back as 40- 50 years)
> > have been retained. Fortunately our pathology department does not retain
> > organs. However I would be interested to hear the views, policies and
> > procedures of the international community with regard to this issue.
> >
> > Liam Brennan
> > Histopathology Dept.
> > Belfast City Hospital
>