Undertakers
 

When someone dies and get sent off to the undertakers, the undertaker will remove a pacemaker (where fitted) before cremation so that the cremation can go peacefully.
So, do the undertakers need any kind of special license to cut someone apart? Sure, it's all a bit of a moot point due to the physical state of said cadaver, but there must be some governance, surely?
Who owns said pacemaker/hip replacement etc - could your family/next of kin ask for it back?

I don't think we have any undertakers here, wondering whether any of the plumbers know?

Re: Undertakers
 

ooooookaaaaaay?

Re: Undertakers
 

I find that hard to believe but without having done any searching of my own I'll not make judgement. But surely it would be a patholigist that would do this task. I was of the understanding an undertaker would 'dress' the corpse to make it 'presentable' to the relatives. Not slice it up retrieving items?

Re: Undertakers
 

I have just read up on it. Yuk!!

Re: Undertakers
 

Oh, quite possibly - I thought a pathologist was more investigative. I suppose they could give this task to the YTS/NVQ pathologist?

What's the link man? I didn't find anything useful when I looked - sounds like you're more aufait with the terms necessary.

Re: Undertakers
 

Not just Dress i will have you know ......
this is a story my mum told me the other week , her friend in work has been feeling off colour latley and she went to the doctors and they took a blood test ect ect, called her back into the surgery a week or so later and asked what she does for a living, she replied a cleaner, they then asked what her husband does for a living she replied an undertaker,
They doctor gave my mums friend some horrible news that she has got a desise what can only be caught from corpceses her husband was later arrested .. turns out he had been Stiffying the stiffies !

Sorry for going off topic .

Re: Undertakers
 

That true or another one of these urban legends.. I've read of something similar before.

Re: Undertakers
 

Mortuary technicians, Pathologists, Doctors, or Funeral Directors.

To be fair, would you really want to ask for it back?

Re: Undertakers
 

My mum told me the otherday, so unless shes pulling my leg but its not like my mum to make this sort of thing up.

Re: Undertakers
 

I *think* people usually get such items returned as a routine matter, some author was on TV the other day and he showed the audience his dad's pacemaker (he said he considered it a personal momento) and mentioned that they didnt have to ask, but perhaps that was a special case? Easy enough to find out - ring the hospital.

"Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers By Mary Roach" is also an excellent book to read to find out the facts (rather than the urban myths).