NotEinstein
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You are right that cremation is the process of disposing of a body by burning, but not just any fire is used. Cremation is a process requiring intense heat, and recently a small controversy has arisen over what exactly constitutes the ash. Another controversy has also come up over the safety of cremation. It turns out cremation may be poisoning us all.
Cremation is an ancient form of body disposal dating back some 20,000 years ago in what is now Australia. It has been used alongside burial ever since. The use of cremation has been restricted from time to time, especially in the Middle Ages, because the church saw it as a heathen practice.
Records show that local authorities in England attempted to prosecute a man for cremating his infant son in 1884. This man began a campaign that led to a specific law being written that allows for cremation. Today, cremation has become very popular because it is more affordable than burial.
The process of cremation in modern times begins shortly after a body is taken to a funeral home or crematorium. The body can be prepared immediately or as soon as time allows. All prosthetics are removed from the body. Surgically implanted devices, such as pacemakers, are also removed because they can explode. Magnetic metal is usually also removed from the body.
Most states do not allow cremation to take place until 24 or 48 hours after death. State law also requires the body to be inside a container. Some people buy fancy coffins, but others usually just buy a simple pine box. Some states allow for cardboard boxes when money is tight.
The boxed body is then placed into the cremation chamber. The chamber is constructed to create intense heat from 1800 to 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. This is so hot that all soft tissues of the body are completely vaporized into various gasses, leaving no trace of ash. Most of the bones are reduced to ash, along with the box. Some of the larger bones are then removed and pulverized into powder. At the end, what is given to the family is mostly wood ash and bone powder. Not much is really left of the actual body.
Lately, environmentalists have pointed out that fillings are not removed before cremation. Silver amalgam fillings have mercury in them, which is released into the atmosphere during the process. I don’t know about you, but I would regret being killed by a dead guy with bad teeth.
 Posted 4840 day ago
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