Herbst, Winfrid

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 31 | Number 3 Article 18August 1964What They Ask Us ... About Donating One's Bodyto Medical SchoolWinfrid HerbstFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqRecommended CitationHerbst, Winfrid (1964) "What They Ask Us ... About Donating One's Body to Medical School," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 31 : No. 3 ,Article 18.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol31/iss3/18proach to the restriction of child­bearing by individuals with this disease.] Himes, Norman E.: Medical Historyof Contraception. Gamut Press: New York. 1963. 521 pp. $7.50. -----: MD-nun leads a busy life. Med. World News 5:73-76 Mar. 13, 1964. Meng, Henrich and Freud, Ernst L. (Editors): Psychoanalysis and Faith:The Letters of Sigmund Freud and Oskar Pfister. (translated by Eric Mosbacher) Basic Books: New York. 1963. 152 pp. $4.95. Bryan: Religious Aspects of Hypnosis.C. C. Thomas: Springfield, Ill.1962. n pp. $4.oo.Byrd, B. F., Jr.; Bayer, D. S.; Robert­son, J. C., and Stephenson, S., Jr.: Treatment of breast tumors associ­ated with pregnancy and lactation. Ann. Surg. 155:940 June 1962. rNo therapeutic ::tbortiom were done, and the writers on the basis of their experience state that there is no reason to expect an improved result by interrupting pregnancy.] 158 Podmore, Frank: From Mt ner toChristian Science. A Short History of Mental Healing. U iversity Books: New Hyde Park, N. Y. 1963. 306 pp. $10.00. -----: FDA disagrees ,n can­cer risk of anovulatories. lh d. Tri­bune 4:12 Dec. 2, 1963. Siegel, R. and Ainslie, W. H. Malig· nant ocular melanoma duri1 ; preg­nancy. f.A.M.A. 185:542-5 3 Aug.10, 1963. Veith, Ilza and Zimmerman, L. M.: Malthus and the populat m ex· plosion. Modern Med. 32: 58-270 Feb. 3, 1964. Farnsworth, D. L.: Pain and che in· dividual. New Eng. J. Me,·. 254:-559-562 March 22, 1956. -----: Canada MDs ass< ;s abor· tion law. Med. World New, 5 :137 Feb. 28, 1964. Readers interested in subm1lling abstracts, please send to: Eugene G. Laforet, l\LD. 170 Middlesex Rd. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02167 LINACRE QUARTERLY What they ask us . . . About Donating One's Body to Medical School REVEREND WINFRID HERBST, S.D.S. It is said that there is another path besides the conventional one that a Ca.tholic may follow in the disposition of his body after death. He may donate it to one of the Catholic schools of medicine of our Catholic Universities or other med­ical schools; and this gift of one's body can be made with. the complete sanction and blessing of the Church. Is that true? Yes. And many states have now passed. laws whereby a. person can legally dispose of his own body through provision before death. Moreover, there is an acute short­age of bodies now, because welfare laws now provide for the burial of the indigent. What are bodies thus donated to medical schools used for? They are a priceless textbook in our medical schools. All the know­ledge of modern science can devise no substitute for actual observation of the wondrous· workings and con­struction of the human body. The offering of one's body to the cause of all suffering humanity is a great good work. How are the bodies treated in the anatomy laboratory? The body is treated with all the reverence and respect which are its due. All Catholic anatomy labs are under direct observation of the cler-�UGUST, 1964 gy, and all prescribed �itu�l for the disposition of the remarns 1s scrupu­lously observed. When does the body go to the Medical School? It is necessary that the body be received as soon as possible ·after death in order that it may be pro­perly preserved. It is not necessary to employ an undertaker or to pur­chase a casket. As soon as notified, arrangements are made for the tr�ns­portation of the body to the Medical School. No wake is necessary; and it is possible to have the Requiem Mass without the presence of the dead body. If it is desired, an under· taker may be obtained and regu_lar funeral services held, after which the remains will be delivered to the Medical School by the undertaker. But in that case only the cost of the transportation of the remains to the Medical School will be borne by the School. Bodies on which an au­topsy has been performed cannot be used by the Medical School. What happens to the body when it is received by the School? Marquette University School of Medicine informs me: "After the body has been received by us, it is thoroughly preserved_ by embali_ning.It is then stored untd we use 1t for the study of Anato1:1Y· Stu_dents are assigned to a dissect10n which usual-159 ly begins in fall at the opening of the academic year. The work con­tinues throughout the year and dis­section is usually not completed un­til t'he end of May. During the course of the year all parts of the body are removed and incinerated. At the end of the year all remaining parts, which are mostly skeletal, are incinerated. The ashes are t'hen taken out into the country and sprinkled on a plowed field. On rare occasions we incinerate the remains of one individual separately and turn the ashes over to the family. This is done only when a special request is made." Then what about Christian burial and canon law? And about crema­tion? The Church considers dissection of the body for scientific purposes as final disposition, and therefore does not require deposit of remains in consecrated ground. As regards cremation in this case, the Church tacitly tolerates it for the promo­tion of the Science of Anatomy. ( Cf. Vermeersch, S.J., Theologia Mor­alis, Vol. 3, pp. 5 5 7.) If a priest is present at death he can at once say the ritual prayers for after expiration; otherwise the pastor, who should in all cases be informed, is called to do so. Should such a donation of one's body be made as a provision of one's will? my death to the Marquette Univer­sity School of Medicine· f< scien­tific purposes." Or, of cot ·se, the School of the donor's choice A card that such a donor may car · about wit'h him could read: IN C \SE OF MY D EATH THIS CE TIFIES THAT: I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . have dedicated my body to me· cal re-search and education. At i ,e time of my death immediately nt ify the Department of Anatomy, [ M rquette University School of Medici, c.J Does the Medical School require a release of claim on the b y? Yes. The wishes of one ho has dedicated his body to a vfedical ' School should, of course, be respect­ed by his relatives. But, t , avoid difficulties, . the next of k: 1, with two witnesses, should sigr a RE­LEASE OF CLAIM: "The under­signed, being next of kin hereby release to [Marquette U, iversity School of Medicine J all clair,1 to the remains of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to be used for scientific purpr ,es." It is to be noted again that if tl:. fam ily heir, or other interested p rty in­sists on transferring the bod, to the church for the funeral servic·es, the party must make all the necessary arrangements with the depirtment of anatomy and an undertaker and pay all the expenses thereof. Other­wise, as mentioned above. there would be no expenses. Why should I do this? No; because there is usually a con­siderable delay before a will is pro­bated. But it should be evidenced by a written instrument, sigm;d by the donor and two competent wit­nesses who know the signature to be that of the donor. The gift may be revoked by the donor at any time during his lifetime. An instrument as mentioned above, would be: · "I herewith state that it is my desire to donate my body immediately after The science of · medicine is im· possible without this study. The medical students who will become physicians through your generosity are mindful of the priceless value of your generous gift. Finally, those who enjoy the fullness of health through the study and research made in fhe anatomy laboratory acknow­ledge their indebtedness to their anonymous unknown benefactor. Reprinted from Our Sunday Visitor ( 1-12-64) with permission of the Editors. 160 LINACRE QUARTERLY Words. Medicine or Poison Apt words have power to suage the tumours of a troubl'd mind.-Milton These words are razors to my wounded heart.-Shakespeare As the anesthetic takes over for major surgery, the patient is thrown into panic. Why? Because an ?P�rat­ing room nurse is softly smgmg, "Nearer My God to Thee." A Tex_as physician, Dr. Charles H. G1llesp1e, tells of other thoughtless words of health personnel-words which st�� at the patience of patients, a surpnsmg number of whom hear every utter­ance while supposedly under general anesthetic: I'm going to shoot him ·now." (Loading the needle in a rifle?) "Hook up the monitor." (Or did he say "monster" ? ) . "A spinal puncture is indicated." (There goes my life sizzling away.) "This just isn't my day." (Has he shattered the blood bottle? Cut in the wrong place? Stopped my air supply?) Too many, says Dr. Gillespie, hu�t patients by failing to watch their language. "If you cannot be reass�r­ing," he advises his colleagues, ' be quiet." When are words better swallowed than injected--0r will verbal salve be preferred dosage form? Is there aq antidote for spoken poison, a m�d­icine to heal wounds from cuttmg remarks, a serum against contagious comments? The questions point up an often-overlooked aspect of medical practice - the "pharmacology" of speech. Patients in real or imagined crisis are inclined to cling to expres­sions from those in the healing arts more than from almost anyone else. AUGUST, 1964 "The same prescription given _by two different physicians helps with one and fails with the other," speech clinic director Paul J. Moses, M.D. reminded a medical audience in San Francisco last fall. "One's suggestive voice makes it work, while the other physician's voice might have a touch of doubt and the medicine fails." Even the way a prescription is· writ­ten could determine therapeutic out­come. Thomas T. Jones, M.D., of Durham, N.C., insists that all too many physicians use negative lan­guage. He suggests, for exan_iple, _th��"One at mealtime for 1nd1gest10n could be more effective if written: "One at mealtime to improve diges­tion." While unmeasured words may take the erratic flight of birds, wordless­ness might be injurious, too. How many times has a physician's s�rug led a patient to believe that a senous �ut manageable ailment is �ope�ess, tng­gering a harmful phrs10log1cal reac­tion? If words are birds, shrugs can be drugs-drugs applied carelessly. A curious illustration of the body's response to verbal stimul! was shown at the University of Mmnesota not long ago. There, psychologists �evi�ed a "laugh index" for students v1ewmg a slapstick film sequence: They_ found that volunteers given epmephnne be­fore the movie laughed louder and longer than did the other st�dents. Epinephrine is a natural secr�tion of persons experiencing fear. This study 161 

What They Ask Us ... About Donating One\u27s Body to Medical School

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What They Ask Us ... About Donating One\u27s Body to Medical School

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