As the population of over 76 million Baby Boomers approaches middle age and beyond, the issue of preserving mental powers throughout greatly increased life spans has reached an almost fever pitch. There is a growing interest in—and optimism about—preserving and enhancing the brain's capabilities into senior years.
With an overall incidence of more than 800 cases per 1 million persons per year, only motor vehicle accidents cause more accidental deaths than burns. Advances in trauma and burn management over the past three decades have resulted in improved survival and reduced morbidity from major burns.
Forces are at work which may be changing the way the general public thinks about the autopsy. The past few decades have seen a consistent, almost depressing drop in autopsy rates across the world. Once considered the foundation of medical science, the autopsy has fallen into relative disfavor.
