PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “CREMATION”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Autopsy before cremation--formality without efficacy?].

A multicentre study involving 36 out of 38 German medico-legal Institutes discovered 784 non-natural fatalities among 78,000 external examinations before cremation (1%) in 1995. These included 169 accidents, 16 suicides, 3 homicides and 589 deaths in connection with medical treatment. In the remaining 7 cases, a belated differentiation between homicide and accident was not successful. A linear projection results in 1980 non-natural fatalities among all 197,000 external examinations before cremation. This number includes 8 homicides but due to considerable inhomogeneities, a number of 40 homicides appears to be realistic. Consequently, abolishing the mandatory external examination before cremation would be equivalent to an official renouncement of solving relevant non-natural deaths. In case of a thorough external examination, a total of 18,000 non-natural fatalities including approximately 180 homicides could be detected per year during the first external examinations (n = 885,000).

Autopsy↗
PubMed2004

[Obligation to report occupational diseases. Importance of external post-mortem examinations before cremation].

The practical use of the legally required documentation of occupational diseases is demonstrated by a case of asbestos-related pleural mesothelioma. During the mandatory inquest before cremation, information of manifest pleural mesothelioma had been relayed to the widow of the patient, and an investigation for a possible occupational disease was performed. Reconstruction of the case showed that in the course of 3 months at least 13 physicians had been involved in in-hospital as well as ambulatory therapeutic measures. Until death, none of them informed the trade association about a suspected occupational disease in accordance with BK 4105 of the codex of occupational diseases, although the diagnosis of manifest pleural mesothelioma had been histologically confirmed already 10 weeks prior to the death of the patient. This case demonstrates obvious and evident deficiencies in applying the Code of Social Law VII, which requires physicians to report occupational diseases. In addition, it shows the importance of the post-mortem examination as a control function before cremation.

Germany↗
PubMed2002

Identifying chop marks on cremated bone: a preliminary study.

The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the effects of burning on hacking trauma inflicted with a cleaver and to assess the diagnostic potential of cleaver marks exposed to fire. Thirty pig forelimbs (radius and ulna) and 30 beef ribs were each subjected to five blows with a cleaver and five cuts with a knife prior to burning in an outdoor fire. Bones were deliberately agitated to ensure maximum cremation and induce fragmentation. Results indicate that hacking weakens bone, making fire-induced fragmentation more likely at the sites of trauma. Chop marks were easily identified on burned bone, their characteristics largely unaffected by cremation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Cremation. A public health chapter in Mexico].

Cremation was a part of the funeral ceremony in prehispanic Mexico. When the Spanish conquerors came, this practice was prohibited. In 1877, the Uppu Health Council authorized animal incineration to avoid consumption by indigents or transformation in putrid emanation. Creamation was welcome in Mexico because of the knowledge of hygienic at the time, whose adepts had evaluated toxic exhalations of cadavers and the cemeteries of Mexico City, with incomplete destruction of the cadaver and filtration of contaminants into the subsoil. Three were the reasons against cremation; religious beliefs, lawmaker medical preoccupation with the disappearance of legal evidence, and the newly born science of anthropology, with loss of material for laboratory. The first crematorium was inaugurated by Dr. Eduardo Liceaga in February 1909 in the Dolores Cemetery.

History, 19th Century↗
PubMed1995

Cremation (Scotland) regulations 1935 (as amended) Form B--certificate of medical attendant Form C--confirmatory medical certificate.

It is important that doctors completing Forms B and C are fully aware of their statutory duties and responsibilities as laid down in the relevant cremation regulations. These forms should only be completed when the doctors concerned are confident that the information they are providing is true and accurate and that they have no reasonable cause to suspect that the decreased died either a violent or an unnatural death, or a sudden death of which the cause is unknown, or died in such a place or circumstances as to make further inquiry desirable before cremation. It should also be noted that medical referees have the statutory right to reject forms which are incomplete, or improperly completed.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed1997

The anthropometry of contemporary commercial cremation.

This study establishes baseline parameters and examines those variables thought to influence cremains weights. Data were collected during the cremation of 100 individuals. A series of measurements was taken to determine relative skeletal robusticity. The weight, stature, sex, and age of each cadaver was recorded prior to cremation. The average cremains weight for the fully developed adults (n = 91) was 2430 g and ranged from 876 g to 3784 g. Male and female means were separated by 1053 g, but there was considerable overlap in the distribution. All cremains weights above 2750 g were male and all cremains weights below 1887 g were female. Five amputees and one long bone donor produced cremains weights below the means for their respective groups, reflecting the relative contribution of the thick cortical bone of the limbs to total skeletal weight, and thus to total cremains weight. Cremains weight represented approximately 3.5% of total body weight in adults, 2.5% of total body weight in children, and approximately 1% of total body weight in fetuses. The most accurate predictor of cremains weight was cadaver stature (r = .8473; p < .01). Calculated skeletal weight was also highly correlated with cremains weight (r = .7986; p < .01). Cadaveric weight was least correlated with cremains weight (r = .5470; p < .01). Regression formulae were calculated for each of the variables.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Investigation of cremations and severely burned bodies.

Among the most difficult cases for law enforcement and medicolegal investigators to investigate are those in which victims have been deliberately burned to cover up a crime, or those in which cremation has resulted from an accident or suicide. This difficulty arises from the fact that the bodies may be destroyed or fragmented. The major objective in these investigations are twofold: The first task is to identify the body using every means available, including the aid of such experts as forensic pathologists, forensic anthropologists, dentists, toxicologists, and serologists as well as fire investigators, who can contribute to the investigation by providing information about the course of the fire.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Cremation practices and the survival of ancient DNA: burnt bone analyses via RAPD-mediated PCR.

Numerous burial rites have been developed in different time periods of human cultural evolution. One of the most interesting burial practices was the ritual cremation of human bodies. Due to the respective cultural and religious background, brand graves are known where human remains had been buried together with burnt bones of animal origin. To date, burnt bone samples have been refractory to PCR-mediated amplification. D/L values of aspartic acid far greater than 80 x 10(-3) were measured in the samples thus indicating the presence of severely nicked and fragmented nucleic acids. In order to differentiate between burial gift of animal origin and burnt human specimens we established a highly sensitive protocol that addresses all the shortcomings connected to degraded ancient DNA. With the novel procedure it was possible to classify 4 specimens ranging from 2,000-5,000 BP on the basis of mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Methods in age determination in human skeletons exemplified by inhumation and cremation burials of the Hallstatt period].

Discussed were the usual methods presently applied in anthropology for determining a person's age at death by means of specific characteristics of the human skeleton. The inhumation and cremation burials from two tumulus cemeteries of the Hallstatt period (750-500 BC), Dietfurt and Schirndorf, which are both located in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, were used as illustrations. In the case of the skeleton of an adult a combined method of age-determination, which took the following four factors into account, proved to be effective: 1. the stage of closure of the endocranial suture, 2. changes in the symphyseal surface of the pubis, 3. and 4. changes in the structure of the spongiosa of the proximal humerus epiphysis and femur epiphysis. In addition the degree of abrasion of the teeth can be taken into account. In the case of skeletons of non-adults, teeth cutting and the epiphyseal fusion should be paid particular attention to. Using the described methods, the following data relating to age-structure for the inhumation burials of both Hallstatt cemeteries could be attained. The death-apex was reached in the adult age-class. The average life-expectancy of both men and women in Dietfurt and Schirndorf was approximately 31-32 years. The average life-expectancy at the time of birth was 32.3 years in Dietfurt and 26.9 years in Schirndorf. The varying results are due to the fact that more children of the age-classes infants I and infants II could be proved for the Schirndorf cemetery.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗
PubMed1987

[Comparison of variability in wall thickness for sex determination of cremated cadavers].

The amount of information provided by cremations is primarily determined by the general state of preservation. Consequently the possibilities of sex determination by means of morphognostic methods are limited due to a mostly poor representation of fragments which can be of diagnostic value. Therefore an improval of methods has to focus on those skeletal elements that occur in every or almost every batch. These are in particular fragments of the diaphyses and the cranial vault. Wall thicknesses are measured and the values of those individuals that cannot be sexed by conventional methods are compared to an intragroup reference. Following the principle of the morphognostic series about 25% of previously not sexable individuals can now be assigned.

Adult↗