Christensen Angi M
FBI Laboratory-Trace Evidence Unit, 2501 Investigation Parkway, Quantico, VA 22135, USA.
Bioethics. 2006 Jun;20(3):136-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2006.00487.x.
This paper discusses keys to the moral procurement, treatment and disposition of remains used for scientific research, specifically those donated to the University of Tennessee's Anthropological Research Facility (ARF). The ARF is an outdoor laboratory dedicated to better understanding the fate of human remains in forensic contexts, and focuses its research on decomposition, time since death estimates, body location and recovery techniques, and skeletal analysis. Historically, many donations were unclaimed bodies received from medical examiners (although it will be shown that this trend is changing), and it has been argued that the use of the unclaimed bodies for medical or scientific purposes is a violation of autonomy since no consent was given by the individual. It is argued here, however, that the domain of autonomous choice extends to one's own corpse only insofar as expressed wishes are made known prior to one's death, and that in the absence of expressed intent toward final disposition, it is acceptable for institutions to receive donations from medical examiners or family members. This paper also discusses other philosophical issues related to donation, consent and autonomy, and the forensic benefits of research conducted at the Anthropological Research Facility.
本文讨论了用于科学研究的遗体在道德采购、处理和处置方面的关键问题，特别是那些捐赠给田纳西大学人类学研究设施（ARF）的遗体。ARF是一个户外实验室，致力于更好地了解法医背景下人类遗体的命运，其研究重点是尸体分解、死亡时间估计、尸体位置和回收技术以及骨骼分析。从历史上看，许多捐赠遗体是从法医那里接收的无人认领的尸体（尽管将表明这种趋势正在改变），并且有人认为将无人认领的尸体用于医学或科学目的是对自主权的侵犯，因为个人并未给予同意。然而，本文认为，自主选择的范围仅在一个人在死前表明其意愿的情况下才扩展到其自己的尸体，并且在没有对最终处置的明确意图的情况下，机构接受法医或家庭成员的捐赠是可以接受的。本文还讨论了与捐赠、同意和自主权相关的其他哲学问题，以及在人类学研究设施进行的研究的法医益处。
