THE SILENT WITNESS example no longer abandon the sick and the dying in the forests . The Luos have abandoned some of the elaborate customs practiced after death . So are the Maasais who no longer throw away the bodies of the dead among them … I wonder where the current medical students get specimen for studying anatomy .
We also know that we need to live with the reality of the current days , including the fact that there is scarcity of land including cemeteries where the dead are to be laid to rest . The burial affairs are very expensive both in terms of money and time .
Why would a group of people spend one month gathering every single evening to contribute for an expensive funeral ceremony while with only a small fee one can be cremated and the ashes placed in an urn which can be easily carried by one person ? Is it logical that you spend millions of shillings to transport the body of departed one from America yet there is an option of cremating the remains and transporting the ashes in an urn cheaply and conveniently ?
Finally , there is an emerging method of disposing the dead called aquamation . Recently , when Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa died , his body underwent that process . Though it is an old technique that has been around since 1888 where initially it was used to dispose animal carcasses , it has gained popularity in the recent past due to the fact that it is environmentally friendly because it releases less carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the environment .
In this method , the body is immersed in a mixture of water and a chemical called potassium hydroxide . It is then placed in a chamber at high pressure and heated to a temperature of 1600C . The purpose of subjecting the mixture to high pressure is to prevent boiling . After about 6 hours , the body breaks down into fluid component composed of the molecules that makes up the human body including amino acids , salts , sugars and peptides . The bone component is converted into white porous remains called calcium phosphate . The liquid is removed and disposed . The calcium phosphate is crushed to form a white dust which can be placed in an urn and handed to the family .
In conclusion , as to whether to choose between the various forms of interring the bodies of the departed especially by cremation , or aquamation , the choice is an individual one , taking into consideration the cultural and religious aspects of approach to this subject of death . We also need to open our eyes more and take note that rituals can still be performed in a cheap and practical manner on the remains that have been handed over to the family after cremation or aquamation . ■
Dr . Johansen Oduor , MBChB ( UoN ), MMed Path ( UoN ), Dip for Med ( College of Medicine South Africa ), is a Forensic Pathologist and President Emeritus , African Society Forensic Medicine . You can commune with him via mail at : Johansenoduor @ gmail . com .