Nicholette Lizdas
Introduction: Hi, my name is Nicholette Lizdas and today I’m going to talk to you about the living dead. Cadavers are defined by Webster’s dictionary as “A dead body; especially: one intended for dissection” (Gove 1993). I’m not talking about your biology class frog dissection either, I’m talking about human organs on the table testing everything from medication to cannibalism. First let’s cover a bit of history.
I. Human cadaver use can be dated back to 4th Century BC. That’s about the same time Hippocrates and Aristotle walked the earth to give you somewhat of an idea (Peak, 2010). A. The first cadavers ever used were the bodies of executed criminals. 1. This was done first by Herophilos …show more content…
Surgical students practice most first time procedures on cadavers (Bergeron 2005).
1. This includes plastic surgeons, who make these bodies a bit more glamorous (Bergeron 2005). B. More reliable than crash dummies, cadavers are used in simulated crash tests (Roach 2003). 1. Cadavers may not feel pain, but they can sure show it. 2. Dummies can only tell you about the force of the crash, not the impact result (Roach …show more content…
There are even a few really odd things they’ve been used for in the past. 1. In 1931 Dr. Pierre Barbet tried to reenact the crucifixion (Roach 2003). 2. In the 12th Century Middle East area, an elixir was made out of bodies to cure bruises. D. Even “live” bodies are used as cadavers (Park 2006). 1. These bodies are legally brain dead and lose all rights (Park 2006). 2. They are used for things far too risky to be done on a live person (Park 2006).
Conclusion: Today, I have explained the exciting background of human cadavers. First, we covered the shocking history behind it all. Second, I shared with you the multitude of uses for these bodies including not only medicine, but also vehicular testing. So after all of this I just want to leave you all with a question; would you consider donating your body to science?
References
Bergeron, L. (2005, September 14). Rite of passage for first-year medical school students: Meeting their cadavers. Retrieved February 18, 2016, from http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/september14/med-anatomy-091405.html
Gove, P. B. (1993). Cadaver. In Webster's third new international dictionary of the english language, unabridged: A Merriam-Webster's. Springfield: