"Death is still a fearful, frightening happening, and the fear of death
is a universal fear even if we think we have mastered it on many levels." -
Elizabeth
Kubler-Ross, M.D.
We have nothing to fear but fear itself, as the saying goes. The basis of much
fear is simply the unknown. As a society, we have distanced ourselves from death.
Hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and funeral homes do all the "dirty
work" and cemetery's are neatly hidden behind fences and walls, trees and
hedges. We pass by on a daily basis, unwilling to acknowledge what lies beyond
those barriers; but the time is fast approaching when death will not hide its
face any longer.
Most of us are not prepared for wholesale death. We have little to no experience
with it. We owe it to ourselves and to our families to become acquainted with
this "fact of life" and learn how to manage its effects as best we
can. The first thing we can do is to look death in the face.
So what does death look like, anyway? Soon after death, anywhere from 15 minutes
to two hours depending on various factors, the body begins to cool off. It
becomes pale and internal sphincter muscles (i.e., circular muscles controlling
stomach,
bladder and anus) relax. This leads to the release of their contents if the
body is moved. Dependent lividity sets in within about 30 minutes. This is
where blood pools in the lowest parts of the body (usually the back and bottom
of the person, if in a prone position) and begins to coagulate. Rigor mortis
sets in and the muscles in the body begin to stiffen, the skin starts hardening,
and hands and toes curl. (I know this is graphic, but think "wicked witch
of the west that Dorothy's house just landed on with time lapse photography.)
This peaks around 12 hours after death and disappears in another 24 hours,
depending on the temperature. Decay becomes visible within 24 hours. Human
intestines contain friendly bacteria that help us when we are alive but become
predators after we die. The internal organs begin to collapse, the skin loses
its connection with underlying tissues, and bacteria create gases that cause
bloating and swelling. This is a major cause of the putrefaction (rot) that
sets in. The internal organs eventually turn to liquid and when the liquid
exits through the orifices (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, exit points of the bowel
and bladder), it is called "purge." It's ugly and smelly. The last
organs to liquefy are the uterus and prostate. They can last as long as 12
months. This is how a coroner can determine the sex of a corpse dead less than
12 months.
It takes a corpse 12-20 years to return to dust depending on whether the corpse
is an adult or child, what the grave temperature is, whether the body was fat
(fat takes longer to break down), if and how it was embalmed, etc. In Scotland,
where graves are reused, a grave is considered "ripe" until it is
at least 20 years old; meaning if you open it before 20 years, you may be in
for a very unpleasant surprise. (Due to the rocky terrain, graves in Scotland
have to be reused.) So a corpse does not disappear quickly.
So why not just leave it where it lies? If a corpse is left out in the open,
wild animals and insects will feast on it. And if the body is diseased, disease
will spread quickly to humans. If you wonder why, just imagine flies crawling
in and all over a dead body and the purge oozing from the orifices, and then
crawling all over your dinner. That is why dead bodies must be disposed of
quickly.
And flies are not the only lovers of dead meat. It has been observed that man's "best
friend" will devour him when he dies. One man died at home and his dog
tore him apart in less than an hour. Firemen used to allow their mascots to
come along with them on runs until the fire trucks started following ambulances.
The firemen had to stop allowing their dogs to come along on runs because the
dogs went straight for the dead meat. Definitely a public relations situation
not to mention a health hazard.
Okay, so you've got a dead body in your vicinity. What are you going to do?
Assuming the body is in the area you are inhabiting and you do not live near
the ocean, you have two options, both of which require a lot of hard work:
(1) you can bury it, or (2) you can incinerate it. But the one thing you cannot
do is to ignore it.
(1) Burying requires digging a hole six feet deep (and five feet wide and seven
feet long, depending on the size of the corpse. You can either bury the body
in a shroud or bury it in a pine box (links below). Either way, the corpse
will decompose and bacteria could find its way into the water table, which
is why current laws require a concrete liner. However, in emergency situations
chances are concrete liners will not be available. That is why option 2 may
be the better option, unless fire conditions exist (which is more likely given
the current worldwide drought situation).
(2) Cremation/Incineration (a/k/a "the funeral pyre") is both an
ancient and modern practice for the disposition of dead bodies. For the pyre,
stack up lots of wood. Then put the body on top of the wood and pour flammable
liquid such as oil, motor oil, kerosene, heating oil, or charcoal on the body
and the wood. Then ignite the fire. It is best to keep the fire burning as
hot as possible. Do not use gasoline. This will destroy harmful germs quickly
and won't contaminate the groundwater. Don't breathe the fumes, the smell of
a burning human body is not only sickening, but could make you sick. Make sure
the wind will carry the smoke away from your home (or camp). For detailed instructions
on how to build a funeral pyre, see below. You can also use a furnace or incinerator
if you have one available.
If you happen to be near the ocean, feeding a corpse to the fish would be the
easiest way to dispose of a corpse. However, if you are physically unable to
do that or any of the above, the best thing to do is to wrap the corpse in
plastic sheeting and move it as far away from your location as you can, preferably
downwind and not near any body of water. Putting rocks over it (without burying
it in the ground) would keep smaller animals from desecrating the remains and
the plastic would keep the flies from crawling all over it. One thing to remember
with any of these methods, except for burial at sea, is that you are leaving
visible signs that someone is nearby. If this will be a security issue, then
you must devise a plan to dispose of remains in a way that will be hidden from
intruders.
If you are in a position to have a funeral, don't think about embalming the
body. It is a complicated process and requires special training, material and
equipment. The only purpose of embalming is to delay the putrefaction process
so that the funeral can take place 3-5 days after death. In an emergency situation,
this will not be possible. Any funeral would have to be done quickly followed
immediately by disposition of the body.
Landfills are not a viable solution for the disposal of dead bodies either
because not only of the presence of rats and smoke, but paper and plastic film
dispersed by the winds, all of which could carry disease.
Composting (animal remains) is also a non-viable option. Flies, mosquitoes,
rats, wildlife, and other vectors of disease transmission would be attracted
to the compost pile and after a hearty lunch would spread disease. Large bones
and hides will not compost easily, thus defeating the composting process.
As mentioned above, improper disposition of human (and animal) remains constitute
a potential for ground and surface water contamination. Groundwater is contained
in a geological layer called an aquifer. Aquifers are composed of permeable
or porous geological material (materials that can be penetrated by liquids
or gases) located at greater depths and, though somewhat protected, can still
be contaminated when they are tapped for use or are close to a source of heavy
contamination for a long time. And that, of course, leads to serious health
concerns.
When dealing with dead bodies, always wear a facemask, clothing barrier, gloves
and goggles. Depending on the state of decay, gasses could be a problem and
you need to be prepared if something were to explode and spew in your face.
Decontaminate yourself thoroughly after handling a dead body, as well as your
equipment and clothing.
Every home should have a "Last Aid" kit containing the following
items:
1. For burials:
a. A pick mattock;
b. A round and square-bladed shovel (one of each);
c. Pre-made pine boxes that are easily screwed together and can be lain flat
as a kit under the bed, or kept in the closet in a cardboard shipping (original)
container. Needs only a few screwdrivers, and about 2 hours to assemble. No
power tools needed. You could also make a coffin or two and use them as coffee
tables or bookshelves or storage until they are needed (links below);
d. Shroud material, or coffin lining material;
e. A grave site picked out in the backyard or a place in the city park or the
local graveyard. Those on farms or ranches can utilize the "Back 40" for
the family cemetery;
f. If there will be a viewing, put some glue on the lips of the deceased, otherwise
the mouth can come open and scare people. There should be no viewing if the
person died of an infectious disease. If death was caused by an accident and
there is disfigurement, bandages could be placed or gauze placed to conceal
the damage. Children should not be excluded from the grieving process and should
not be lied to that "mommy is asleep" or "daddy is on a long
trip." They can always tell something isn't right and will find out eventually
anyway.
g. Several strong ropes for lowering the coffin into the grave site.
h. A marker of some type, if desired.
2. For incineration/funeral pyres:
a. Flammable liquids (as described above);
b. Wood;
c. Fire (matches, BBQ lighters, etc.).
3. For situations that are not TEOTWAWKI scenarios
wherein the government remains intact (such as might occur in a bird flu pandemic),
the following will help
the authorities with identification:
a. A complete set of identification and papers should be kept with the body;
and
b. All medicines the deceased was taking, placed in a Ziploc bag along with
an envelope containing the papers that describe the medicines and put with
the body (this could help with further identification as well as an autopsy).
4. As a person nears death, several changes of bedding and blankets should
be neatly folded, laundered and ready for changing. When a person is at the
point of passing away, the bowel and bladder functions naturally release the
sphincter muscles and discharge will follow.
a. Remember, the same bed will likely be reused, so it is best to encase the
mattress in a protective cover. Burn the plastic cover after the person dies
and disinfect the mattress.
b. Soiled laundry should not be re-used if it can't be cleaned with bleach.
If the deceased person died from an infectious disease, soiled laundry should
be burned. Always take standard precautions (gloves, goggles, clothing barrier)
when handling infected materials.
5. Bodies should be disposed of within 24 hours, if at all possible. Sooner,
if death was caused by a contagious disease or the outside temperature is hot.
6. If it is winter or you are in a cold climate, a body can stay frozen, but
needs to be disposed of before it thaws.
7. Get some books on grieving, how to conduct a funeral, etc. and get educated
so when death comes you will be prepared to deal with it mentally and emotionally.
With that taken care of, you will be better equipped to assist all affected
by death.
Unstable times are upon us. Things like funerals may become a thing of the
past in order to just survive. The most important thing to focus on is preparing
yourself mentally and emotionally in advance for the prospect of death, including
perhaps your own or your loved ones. Education and preparation are vital so
that you will be able to continue functioning in a survival situation.
References:
How to Build a Funeral Pyre
How
to Build a Coffin (has links to other articles as well as listing several
interim uses for a coffin)
Coffins, Shrouds, Green Burials, Books on Death/Dying, etc.
"On Death and Dying", Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D.
"Death
to Dust", Kenneth V. Iserson
JWR Adds: Laws on burial on private property vary widely.
Be sure to consult your state and local laws. In the event of a disaster situation
you may end up burying a loved one ad hoc, and have to catch up on
death certificate paperwork after order is restored. Some digital photographs and sworn and notarized
statements may suffice to prevent the indignity of a subsequent exhumation.
In many ways, do-it-yourself burial is a lot easier to explain to public officials
than cremation. Also keep in mind that that it takes a tremendous amount of
fuel to fully cremate a human body. This is not an issue for regions with plentiful
firewood, but it could be a limiting factor in other regions.