While continuing to use humor and imagery Mary Roach goes on to include countless amounts of factual evidence, comparisons, and some irony to describe even more uses of the human cadaver, and its contributions to the field of medicine, science, and even religion. Roach's humor has been ever present throughout the chapters of Stiff, but the vast amount of factual evidence she supplies in the text only continues to making her seem more credible. Roach quotes research project upon project, and quote upon quote when she explains the quest of many scientist to prove the authenticity "Shroud of Turin", "And this spot is precisely where the shrowd..."(p.160), Pierre Barbet. Roach also quotes some of the research projects from the early stages of head transplants; some being that of Vladimir Demikhov and his "Experimental Transplantation of Vital Organs" and Charles Guthrie's "Blood Vessel Surgery and Its Applications." Despite the seriousness of many cadaver uses, Roach can't help but use, either intentionally or unintentionally, humor with some of the comparisons, such as a simile, she makes. In one instance we find a cadaver being dissected and Roach remarks, "He's unzipping her like a parka."(p.169). Furthermore, Roach divulges into a bit of irony when she discusses the concepts of a "beating heart cadaver" who is legally dead (brain dead), but the body is able to thrive as to donate functioning organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys.
Discussion Questions:
Clarification: On pg. 159 Roach talks about how Barbet experimented with bodies as he constructed his own crucifix, was the body he experimented with donated or even a cadaver, or could he have used live humans like Zugibe?
Application: Why are people so reluctant to proceed with sometime necessary head transplants, that would benefit others?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Application:
ReplyDeleteDo you mean the relatives being reluctant to proceed? If so, I think it's because they wouldn't want to imagine their loved one's head being cut off just to help others. Knowing what's going to be done with the loved one just makes everything harder to deal with, as far as coping with the death of a family member.
Clarification:
For me this chunk discussing crucifixion really confused me. I think in this instance, he experimented o an actual cadaver, I think Zugibe was the only scientist mentioned for using live humans
Clarification:
ReplyDeleteI can't put my finger on exactly what page Roach stated it on, but I do believe she said he practiced on some of the unclaimed cadavers that were delivered to his doorstep.
Application:
I agree with Cip, I wouldn't want to think about one of my relatives having their heads chopped off. Honestly, I really don't even understand how you can donate someone's head to help someone else, but you know...whatever lol.
Clarification:
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that all of his test subjects were dead, but I think I remember something about Barbet hammering nails into people's hands, or at least thier decapitated arms.
Application:
I agree, I wouldn't want to think about a relative's head being cut off to help somebody else.
Based on the fact that their is little information Roach leaves to help assuage readers from thinking otherwise, i believe the bodies were not donated at all but used without the person's consent alive or dead (joke). not only do i believe this took place but i believe it still happens today because not many people have any way of preventing this from happening. the government makes laws prohibiting things such as this, but who's to say they themselves abide by them?
ReplyDelete