In Marry Roach's Stiff, she explores the many uses that cadavars have, in not only anatomical reasearch but how they can be used in vehicular crash tests, to understand the severity of chest injuries in them, as well as to understand, by looking at the cadavar's wounds, what actually happened in a plane crash. All the while she is explaining the benefits of these cadavars, she adds in imagery, humor, and anecdotes about heself concerning the topic at hand. Earlier in the chapter Roach uses vivid imagery to describe what happend to a live person simulating the impacts of a real car crash. This man named Albert King was "slammed in the chest by a twenty-two-pound metal pendulum. He has hurled one knee repetedly against a metal bar outfitted with a load cell."(pg 94) (a load cell is a device that converts force into electrical signals.) By telling of the many injuries a real person, who can feel pain, goes through, Roach hilights the use of cadavars, who feel no pain at all. Roach then uses expert opinions to explain that just by looking at the wounds of a victim one can determine the cause of a plane crash and the events that unfolded. With the further use of anecdotes and historical facts, Roach tells of research done many years ago as to why a man falls to the floor after being shot.
Discussion Questions:
Clarification: In the first few pages of chapter five, did Roach or her colleage ever refer to the "victims" or "survivors" of the plane crash as cadavars?
Application: Do you think that it is better to use cadavars in place of animals in things such as bullet research?
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ReplyDeleteHonestly, I feel we should use cadavers to conduct bullet research. Huimans are directly influenced by gunshots and we should be researching on actual victims to get ideal results. It doesnt really make sense on me to conduct research on a cow, for instance, because they dont seem to have human like qualities. The results seem like they would definately vary compared to that of a human. Cadavers are donated to help us advance on studies in science, which is excatly what this is.
Application:
ReplyDeleteI think that it is alot better to use cadavers in place of animals in test such as the ones researched by Roach because despite their striking similarity to humans in body composition or internaly organs, there is no substitute for a human but a human. Also there are many people who believe that "crashing animals into walls" is not right and animal cruelty, I personally do not feel so strongly on the issue,but why not allow a person who has donated their body to science endure the "pain", and let the animal go free. I choose to believe that if a person donates their body to science, they do it in hopes of helping others, animals can't donate their bodies to science so why force them to.
Clarification:
ReplyDeleteI do not think that they refered to the "survivors" as cadavers, but they did say "survivors". Or they addressed them as victims of the crash or they noted the flight number in reference to the bodies.