Modern Embalming Techniques

Throughout the history of time, man has sought new ways to improve upon how we preserve our dead. The greatest strides can be found in the aftermath of the Civil War. Families were desperate to retain the bodies of fallen soldiers for a hometown burial. That's when pioneering surgeon-chemist, Dr. Thomas Holmes, introduced innovations in arterial embalming. Since then, embalming techniques have become quite sophisticated.

Embalming Practitioners

Prior to Holmes' innovations, preserving a body was done with the use of compounds, such as arsenic, mercury and zinc. This process made the handling of cadavers very dangerous, and few educated men, who understood the dangers, were willing to undertake the endeavor. With Holmes' inventions all that changed. Modern embalming is now a complex procedure that is performed only by a board-licensed practitioner who has graduated from an accredited mortuary school and put in two years of apprenticeship at a registered funeral home.

Embalming Preparation

According to Harold Schechter in his medically-acclaimed book, "The Whole Death Catalog," when it comes to embalming, "no two cases are alike." But he does maintain that the baseline procedures are always the same. An embalmer will always wear protective gear, including latex gloves, a moisture-resistant body suit, surgical cap, mask and goggles. The body to be preserved is placed on a stainless steel or porcelain table. The body is stripped, disinfected then groomed; all facial hair is shaved, even in women and children, unless specified otherwise by the family. The body must then be placed in the same position, as it will rest in the coffin, because of rigor. If rigor has already occurred, the mortician will massage muscles, making them more pliable. The head is tilted to the right to give the funeral attendees a full face viewing.

Completing the Preparation Stage

Before beginning the actual embalming process, the embalmer must secure the eyes to give the deceased that look of peacefully sleeping. A plastic "eyecap" is placed under each lid to avoid convex sockets. The lids are then super-glued shut; otherwise, they will retract and remain in the open position. The mouth is secured with staples to the gum line, and the lips are then formed to appear natural with cotton and mortuary putty.

The Actual Embalming

There are two stages to the embalming process. The first is what's known as arterial embalming. This is where the blood is replaced with a formaldehyde-based solution. Methanol, ethanol and other solvents are added to formaldehyde to produce embalming fluid for preservation. A suitable spot in the neck is chosen, a slit is made and the carotid artery is extracted. The fluid is dispensed by an embalming pump machine with a hose inserted into the exposed vessel. This is called the injection site. The same is done for the jugular vein, except only a hose is inserted for blood drainage. Once the blood has been entirely drained and the embalming machine is only pumping out just the fluid, it is time for the second stage of the process -- cavity embalming.

Cavity Embalming

A trocar -- a long, hollow metal tube, with a sharp, arrow-like point attached to an aspirator -- is introduced into the corpse's abdomen and maneuvered in every direction, puncturing and eviscerating all of the organs. Once collapsed, the heart, lungs, stomach, colon, liver, intestines and bladder are sucked out through the trocar. Once the viscera is completely vacuumed out, the trocar is removed, and the embalming machine tube is inserted through the same incision. The body cavity is filled to a natural-looking capacity. To complete the modern-day embalming process, all available orifices are packed with cotton, a few cosmetic ministrations are performed to make the deceased aesthetically-pleasing, and the embalmer's job is finished.

References

• "The Whole Death Catalog"; Harold Schecter; 2009