Professor Ramanan offers an interesting transcultural perspective on the Parsee disposal of the dead and the potential disruption of an established cycle involving vultures as a result of cattle being treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. There is no mention of this in the World Health Organization review of the impact of cemeteries on the environment and public health.1
With regard to the relative preference for cremation or burial, this varies from country to country, with the Cremation Society of Great Britain reporting that about 80% of funerals in Great Britain involve cremation at the present time.2
Declarations
Competing Interests
None declared.
References
- 1.WHO Regional Office for Europe. The Impact of Cemeteries on the Environment and Public Health, an Introductory Briefing, Kobe Haven: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 1998. [Google Scholar]
- 2.The Cremation Society of Great Britain. Annual Statistics, Maidstone, UK: The Cremation Society of Great Britain, 2019. [Google Scholar]