Inside The Shady Market For Human Body Parts
November 10, 2017 5:58 PM Subscribe
Arms Dealers. "In October of 2012, the Rathburns shipped $55,225.83 worth of body parts, including remains that had tested positive for HIV and hepatitis B, to the American Society of Anesthesiologists for a series of cadaver workshops at the group's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. What appeared to be business as usual was, the FBI came to believe, part of a criminal enterprise that allegedly involved buying infected bodies at a discount, presenting the bodies as non-infected, and transporting this infected property across state lines, all while lying to authorities to cover it up."
This post was deleted for the following reason: This isn't precisely a double but it's close enough that it can definitely go in that thread. -- restless_nomad
Oh, capitalism. Is there no bottom to your barrel?
posted by Thorzdad at 7:04 PM on November 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Thorzdad at 7:04 PM on November 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Oh, capitalism. Is there no bottom to your barrel?
There was, but somebody made a decent offer for it, so...
posted by nubs at 7:10 PM on November 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
There was, but somebody made a decent offer for it, so...
posted by nubs at 7:10 PM on November 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
If there truly was a free market for body parts, the going rate would be a lot less. But since it's kind of a grey market, they end up costing an arm and a leg.
posted by dephlogisticated at 8:32 PM on November 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by dephlogisticated at 8:32 PM on November 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
I’m a volunteer organ donor advocate. We try really hard to combat the reputation and misunderstandings that spring from these kinds of cases, and from the sordid and shameful history and present of American medical research (early gynecology, I’ll keep that man’s name out of my mouth. The Tuskegee Institute.)
Assholes like this guy and his co-conspirators set back the science supported by organ and tissue donation, perhaps immeasurably.
On one hand, I’m not the least bit surprised that this is happening. On the other hand, I’m very sad and really angry. Many many people struggle with end of life decisions, and being disrespected in death is a great big fear that many folks have. Just the idea of a cooler full of heads going to a perio convention would be enough to turn some folks off of donation. Which is fine. I urge potential donors to make fact based decisions. This news definitely gives people more facts to work with. I just wish this never happened, and hope that more is done to prevent shenanigans like this in the future.
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For all the donors this guy has disrespected. Thank you and your families for this gift. I’m so sorry it wasn’t received graciously.
posted by bilabial at 8:34 PM on November 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Assholes like this guy and his co-conspirators set back the science supported by organ and tissue donation, perhaps immeasurably.
On one hand, I’m not the least bit surprised that this is happening. On the other hand, I’m very sad and really angry. Many many people struggle with end of life decisions, and being disrespected in death is a great big fear that many folks have. Just the idea of a cooler full of heads going to a perio convention would be enough to turn some folks off of donation. Which is fine. I urge potential donors to make fact based decisions. This news definitely gives people more facts to work with. I just wish this never happened, and hope that more is done to prevent shenanigans like this in the future.
.
For all the donors this guy has disrespected. Thank you and your families for this gift. I’m so sorry it wasn’t received graciously.
posted by bilabial at 8:34 PM on November 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Oh god, we just did this.
I remain firm in my opinion that I ought to be able to purchase corpses for whatever educational/sexual purposes that I see fit. Capitalism!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:36 PM on November 10, 2017
I remain firm in my opinion that I ought to be able to purchase corpses for whatever educational/sexual purposes that I see fit. Capitalism!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:36 PM on November 10, 2017
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posted by mwhybark at 6:38 PM on November 10, 2017