EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT EMBALMING BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK.
Before we get started with our little embalming guide, I’d like to clarify something. There’s a significant difference between an autopsy and an embalming. An autopsy involves a large Y incision, which literally opens the deceased from stem to stern. Its primary purpose is to determine cause of death, and it’s performed by a pathologist. Funeral directors do not perform autopsies, unless of course they happen to be a pathologist. But most funeral directors do embalm . . .
Embalming is primarily done to disinfect and preserve the remains of the deceased. Disinfecting is important for all who have to handle the body and for the safety of the general public. Many years ago, deaths due to Typhoid Fever, Malaria, and other highly contagious diseases, put funeral directors and others who came into contact with the deceased at a very high risk of contracting the same disease. Secondly, it has been a tradition to have a period of visitation of the deceased. This is known as the wake or calling hours. Without embalming, the deceased would become un-viewable within a short period of time because of the constant chemical changes occurring in the cadaver as it decomposes. Embalming hinders this natural process.
Once the deceased has been wheeled into the embalming room, they’re placed on a stainless steel or porcelain table, (see picture below) not unlike those used for an autopsy. The clothing is then removed and either cleaned so they can be returned to the next of kin or destroyed. A careful inventory is done on jewelry and/or glasses so they can be returned to next of kin or replaced on the deceased after embalming.
The mouth and eyelids are then closed. The prime consideration for the lips is to have them meet naturally. If the mouth is closed too loosely, it may part during the viewing. (Talk about clear out a funeral home!) If the mouth is closed too tightly, the area under the nose puckers, giving the upper lip an unnatural expression, as though the deceased is scowling at the mourners. Eye caps, (see below) which look like opaque contact lenses
with small fish-scale ridges over the surface, are placed on the eyeballs, then the lids lowered. The ridges on the eye caps help keep the lids closed.
The deceased is now cleaned with a disinfectant spray or solution. Once cleaned, the funeral director positions the body. He or she relieves rigor mortis (the stiffening of muscle tissue due to chemical changes in the body) by flexing, bending, and massaging the arms and legs. Then he or she will move the limbs to a suitable position for embalming, usually the legs extended and arms at the sides. To begin the embalming process, which is the removal of blood and replacing it with a formaldehyde based fluid, a small incision is usually made on the right side of the lower neck to locate the carotid artery and the jugular vein.
Incisions are made in both vessels, and a tube connected to the embalming fluid pump is placed into the carotid artery. (See below) Another tube is placed into the jugular vein, which will cause the blood to travel through the veins, then flow out of the body for disposal. Approximately 3 gallons of fluid and water are circulated through the body for thorough disinfecting and preservation. In most cases, this will be the only point of injection of the embalming fluid. There are times when clots and other factors stop the flow of fluid throughout the whole system. When that happens, other points of injection are necessary in order to do a complete and thorough embalming. There are many factors that go into the process which cannot be explained here due to space limitations, but some of the factors that the funeral director must assess before embalming are the cause of death, the weight of the deceased, the general overall condition of the body, any disease associated with the deceased, etc. These factors determine the types and strengths of fluids used and the type of embalming necessary to complete the task. Many fluids have a dye added to them, which gives the body a pinkish glow. It also acts as a guide for the funeral director, for he or she can see the fluid as it travels through the body. This type of embalming is known as arterial embalming.
Jugular Tube
Embalming machine
The next step called cavity embalming, is the application of full strength fluid to the internal organs. A small incision is made along the side of the abdomen, and a long, hollow metal needle, called a trocar, (See below) is placed inside the abdominal and thoracic cavities. The funeral director aspirates both cavities. (Aspiration is the removal of blood and other bodily fluids through suction.) A suction pump, either water or electric powered, is used to remove these fluids. The trocar is then attached to a gravity fed system, which allows full strength fluid to be put into each organ. All incisions are then sutured closed.
18” TROCAR
The funeral director then washes the body with cool water, often adding a soapy, germicidal solution containing bleach to kill viruses and bacteria. He or she then cleans the fingernails, uses solvents to remove any stains on the body, washes the hair, then applies other chemicals to remove scaling on the hands and face.
Hairdressing is normally done after embalming has been completed.
Any hair stubble on the deceased is shaved with a razor. Facial hair and any visible nose hair are removed from all bodies, including women and children who may have excess facial hair due to medication or because they have downy hair on their upper lips and cheeks. Ear hair is also removed. Beards and mustaches are carefully trimmed.
The final steps are dressing and casketing the body. It is common to use a full set of clothing, including underwear, stockings or socks, and sometimes shoes if desired. Once dressed, the funeral director will begin cosmetizing the face and hands of the deceased. Usually a special mortuary cosmetic is used, although the use of store bought cosmetics is common. Cosmetizing is the true art of the funeral director. It is through the proper application of cosmetics that a more life-like presentation will be made.
The body is then placed in a casket and adjustments are made to the clothing, hair, and cosmetics. This final step is very time consuming. It’s done carefully for it’s the culmination of all that funeral director’s hard work. The deceased’s head, hands, and shoulders are then set in more life-like positions before they’re wheeled off to take front and center stage in the viewing room. It’s show time.
Embalming is primarily done to disinfect and preserve the remains of the deceased. Disinfecting is important for all who have to handle the body and for the safety of the general public. Many years ago, deaths due to Typhoid Fever, Malaria, and other highly contagious diseases, put funeral directors and others who came into contact with the deceased at a very high risk of contracting the same disease. Secondly, it has been a tradition to have a period of visitation of the deceased. This is known as the wake or calling hours. Without embalming, the deceased would become un-viewable within a short period of time because of the constant chemical changes occurring in the cadaver as it decomposes. Embalming hinders this natural process.
Once the deceased has been wheeled into the embalming room, they’re placed on a stainless steel or porcelain table, (see picture below) not unlike those used for an autopsy. The clothing is then removed and either cleaned so they can be returned to the next of kin or destroyed. A careful inventory is done on jewelry and/or glasses so they can be returned to next of kin or replaced on the deceased after embalming.
The mouth and eyelids are then closed. The prime consideration for the lips is to have them meet naturally. If the mouth is closed too loosely, it may part during the viewing. (Talk about clear out a funeral home!) If the mouth is closed too tightly, the area under the nose puckers, giving the upper lip an unnatural expression, as though the deceased is scowling at the mourners. Eye caps, (see below) which look like opaque contact lenses
with small fish-scale ridges over the surface, are placed on the eyeballs, then the lids lowered. The ridges on the eye caps help keep the lids closed.
The deceased is now cleaned with a disinfectant spray or solution. Once cleaned, the funeral director positions the body. He or she relieves rigor mortis (the stiffening of muscle tissue due to chemical changes in the body) by flexing, bending, and massaging the arms and legs. Then he or she will move the limbs to a suitable position for embalming, usually the legs extended and arms at the sides. To begin the embalming process, which is the removal of blood and replacing it with a formaldehyde based fluid, a small incision is usually made on the right side of the lower neck to locate the carotid artery and the jugular vein.
Incisions are made in both vessels, and a tube connected to the embalming fluid pump is placed into the carotid artery. (See below) Another tube is placed into the jugular vein, which will cause the blood to travel through the veins, then flow out of the body for disposal. Approximately 3 gallons of fluid and water are circulated through the body for thorough disinfecting and preservation. In most cases, this will be the only point of injection of the embalming fluid. There are times when clots and other factors stop the flow of fluid throughout the whole system. When that happens, other points of injection are necessary in order to do a complete and thorough embalming. There are many factors that go into the process which cannot be explained here due to space limitations, but some of the factors that the funeral director must assess before embalming are the cause of death, the weight of the deceased, the general overall condition of the body, any disease associated with the deceased, etc. These factors determine the types and strengths of fluids used and the type of embalming necessary to complete the task. Many fluids have a dye added to them, which gives the body a pinkish glow. It also acts as a guide for the funeral director, for he or she can see the fluid as it travels through the body. This type of embalming is known as arterial embalming.
Jugular Tube
Embalming machine
The next step called cavity embalming, is the application of full strength fluid to the internal organs. A small incision is made along the side of the abdomen, and a long, hollow metal needle, called a trocar, (See below) is placed inside the abdominal and thoracic cavities. The funeral director aspirates both cavities. (Aspiration is the removal of blood and other bodily fluids through suction.) A suction pump, either water or electric powered, is used to remove these fluids. The trocar is then attached to a gravity fed system, which allows full strength fluid to be put into each organ. All incisions are then sutured closed.
18” TROCAR
The funeral director then washes the body with cool water, often adding a soapy, germicidal solution containing bleach to kill viruses and bacteria. He or she then cleans the fingernails, uses solvents to remove any stains on the body, washes the hair, then applies other chemicals to remove scaling on the hands and face.
Hairdressing is normally done after embalming has been completed.
Any hair stubble on the deceased is shaved with a razor. Facial hair and any visible nose hair are removed from all bodies, including women and children who may have excess facial hair due to medication or because they have downy hair on their upper lips and cheeks. Ear hair is also removed. Beards and mustaches are carefully trimmed.
The final steps are dressing and casketing the body. It is common to use a full set of clothing, including underwear, stockings or socks, and sometimes shoes if desired. Once dressed, the funeral director will begin cosmetizing the face and hands of the deceased. Usually a special mortuary cosmetic is used, although the use of store bought cosmetics is common. Cosmetizing is the true art of the funeral director. It is through the proper application of cosmetics that a more life-like presentation will be made.
The body is then placed in a casket and adjustments are made to the clothing, hair, and cosmetics. This final step is very time consuming. It’s done carefully for it’s the culmination of all that funeral director’s hard work. The deceased’s head, hands, and shoulders are then set in more life-like positions before they’re wheeled off to take front and center stage in the viewing room. It’s show time.
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