There are actually two reasons why a body may be cleaned for a burial: the first reason is because of cultural obligations (one's culture can also refer to one's values. It does not have to refer to one's obligation that comes with religious beliefs or one's religious needs) and the second reason is for a possible health risk, which is usually not the reason why they may wash the body for the burial, unless there are seeping liquids from the body. For example, if a body is known to have the pneumonic plague, the body will be decontaminated because it is spreadable through seepage of blood or liquids of the body. If a body dies because of old age or other internal problems that do not cause external seepage or can not be transmitted with liquids, they usually do not wash the body with the mindset that it can propose a health risk: "The widespread belief that corpses pose a risk of communicable disease is wrong" (World Health Organization). Usually, the second reason is preformed when the burial might be next two an open water source like wells or a river AND/OR blood or other liquids are escaping from the human body (the body will be decontaminated, if the disease can spread, not for something like cancer): "It seems that one of Ebola's paths goes from the dead to the living, winding in trickles of uncoagulated blood and slimes that come out of the dead body" (Preston 66). The first reason is one of the main reasons. For example, in islamic culture, it is an obligation for a dead member of the family to be washed in preparation for the burial (men washed by men and women washed by women). This is so that cultural needs are met.
Like Joshua says, cleaning up a body for burial has to do with potential health risk. Viruses can pass from cadavers. Similar to what Josh said about Islamic culture and water contamination, Islamic burials place the corpse in a white sheet which leave no barrier zone from the liquid seeping out of the corpse and the water site. To ensure that something like this does not happen, the body has to be properly cleaned. When the black plague struck Europe, people would stack cadavers on top of millions of others (without any coverings). This led to an increase of the spread of disease, which ended up swiping a third of the population in Europe. Preston, R. (1994). The Hot Zone. New York: Random House.
There are actually two reasons why a body may be cleaned for a burial: the first reason is because of cultural obligations (one's culture can also refer to one's values. It does not have to refer to one's obligation that comes with religious beliefs or one's religious needs) and the second reason is for a possible health risk, which is usually not the reason why they may wash the body for the burial, unless there are seeping liquids from the body. For example, if a body is known to have the pneumonic plague, the body will be decontaminated because it is spreadable through seepage of blood or liquids of the body. If a body dies because of old age or other internal problems that do not cause external seepage or can not be transmitted with liquids, they usually do not wash the body with the mindset that it can propose a health risk: "The widespread belief that corpses pose a risk of communicable disease is wrong" (World Health Organization). Usually, the second reason is preformed when the burial might be next two an open water source like wells or a river AND/OR blood or other liquids are escaping from the human body (the body will be decontaminated, if the disease can spread, not for something like cancer): "It seems that one of Ebola's paths goes from the dead to the living, winding in trickles of uncoagulated blood and slimes that come out of the dead body" (Preston 66). The first reason is one of the main reasons. For example, in islamic culture, it is an obligation for a dead member of the family to be washed in preparation for the burial (men washed by men and women washed by women). This is so that cultural needs are met.
ReplyDeleteLike Joshua says, cleaning up a body for burial has to do with potential health risk. Viruses can pass from cadavers. Similar to what Josh said about Islamic culture and water contamination, Islamic burials place the corpse in a white sheet which leave no barrier zone from the liquid seeping out of the corpse and the water site. To ensure that something like this does not happen, the body has to be properly cleaned. When the black plague struck Europe, people would stack cadavers on top of millions of others (without any coverings). This led to an increase of the spread of disease, which ended up swiping a third of the population in Europe.
DeletePreston, R. (1994). The Hot Zone. New York: Random House.
great answer :-)
ReplyDelete