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Show ' ' Embalming: Let's Put the i5 Misconceptions To Rest v-- -- - f.ij v ..: h; - j -- A By Ron Metcalf , ,,, v .r t' ;; tv historic example of the first grade . embalming procedure. (Editor's Note:Studentbody President presented the following at various forensics meets throughout the year. as part of an informative speech. We felt it interesting enounh to publish.) Ron Metcalf has Do you come from a split home, or know of someone who does? Many people come from one and are said to suffer from anxieties. I am one of those people. You see, in my house, my family lives on the second floor. The first floor mortuary. Anxieties? You wouldnt know meaning of the word. Oh, its not living there; thats not the problem. That parts rather nice, in peaceful. The problem lies in the harassment and questions from friends and relatives after they find out Have you ever seen a you live in a mortuary. dead body? Do they really raise up after they are dead? Isnt that kind of a dead business? Isnt that place in the dead center of town? And then come the names and clever sayings : you stab em and well slab em. Finally, someone always seems to ask, Is your Dad a vegetarian? People are interesting; they either associate the mortuary business with jokes and humor or horror stories and mystery. They know that iOmeday theyll all have to come in contact with the profession and are dying to know what its all about, but their embarrassment forces diem to cover their curiosity with humor and mystery. What were your first thoughts when I brought up mortuaries. That is why I write this article--texplain just exactly what happens in i modern-damortuary. First, its appropriate to establish a name for he man who takes care of the dead. The lames undertaker, funeral director and rmbalmer are common, but I choose mortician. A mortician is responsible for about 25 different services rendered to the bereaved a the is fact--kind- a stiff-stacke- o y DIXIE EAST family. One of those, in which most people have a passing interest, is that of preparing the dead: embalming. Embalming, as we know it today, has developed through a long process of myths, research and demand. Therefore, to understand the modern procedure, a brief history covering its three basic eras is in order. The first record comes from the era of Egypitan embalming, from 6000 BC to 600 AD. Embalming developed in Egypt for one basic reason: sanitation. When the Nile river flooded, the previously interned bodies would rise to the surface, causing disease and further deaths, and prevention of body spoilage became necessary. The first recorded procedures came in three grades according to the dynasty in which a person lived and, of course, how much money he had. The first grade embalming procedure, used on roughly ten percent of the people, was asfollows:l) Removal of the brain. This was done with various instruments through orifices or openings in the head. The brain was replaced with linen strips soaked in resin solution. 2) Abdominal incision. In this step, the organs were removed and treated ; the cavity was cleaned, and the organs were replaced, packed with spices, oils, resins and perfumes. This method was used on about ten percent of the people embalmed, also. 3) Immersion in natron solution. Natron is a sodium salt solution derived from desert lakes. The body was emerged in it for twenty to seventy days. 4) Removal from Natron. The body was dried and dehydrated. 5) Bandaged and spiced. The body was then wrapped and spiced, ornaments were attached, and it was delivered to the family for burial. The second grade embalming procedure was the simple injection of cedar oil, which was believed to dissolve the major organs. After the injection, the body was immersed in a Natron solution, dehydrated, and delivered to the : family.- Student Apartments Wait Sign Up Now! Last Year Dixie East Filled Up tyThe Middle of June 423 So. 900 East St. . ' v V'' Don't r- George, Utah - In the third grade embalming procedure, used on about eighty percent of the people, the body was pickled in the Natron solution, dried, dehydrated, and again, delivered tr the family for burial. Embalmings second era spanned at. of the Middle Ages, lasting from about 600 AL to 1850, during a time when hundreds of nev. discoveries about the human body were beinj made. During this era, scientists discovered the circulatory system and its workings, as well as the fact that injections of various chemicals would preserve the body. Hence, this embalming procedure is known as arterial embalming. Practiced solely for anatomical and scientific purposes, such men as Leonardo daVinci commonly used this method in their studies. During the third era, ranging from about 1850 to the present, formaldehyde and other, newer preservative chemicals were introduced. Embalming procedures were no longer limited to scientific preservation and became more common among funeral homes. The techniques developed in this period are now practiced universally. The modern day embalming procedure is done for purposes of sanitation, preservation, and appearance, and consists of the following steps : Bathing the body. The body and all orifices or openings are completely disinfected. The hair is washed and the face is shaved. 2. Positioning of the body. The body is placed on the embalming table with the head positioned at a proper height and angle. 1 he hands, feet, arms and legs are positioned in a manner as to create the natural, relaxed appearance. This helps in the psychological effect of the bereaved family. 3. Setting of the features. The features, including eyes, mouth, lips, etc., are the purpose is to create a natural relaxed appearance. 4. Preparation of equipment. In the embalming room, various preparations must take place. Some of the fluids found there include a multiple base, made up of formaldehyde, and a surface tension redurant which lessens the degree of resistance. This embalming fluid is designed to eventually evaporate all moisture remaining in the body moisture being, of course, the major cause of deterioration. Multon, for ematiated or old and thin persons, is sometimes needed to swell tissues and fill our various features. An introfiant, can be used for drowning cases or for persons that have been dead for an extended period of time, aids in replacing coagulated blood. In all of these fluids, two dyes, a velvatone dye for pink pigments in females and a suntan dye for males, can be added. Some of the instruments found in the preparatory room include an injection tube, a drain tube, also used for pumping out coagulated blood, a hemostat or lock forceps, and a bone separator. After preparing the equipment, the vessels are raised and fluid injections begin. An incision is made, located, clinically speaking, on an imaginary line from the anterior border of the earlobe, parallel with the sterno pledo mastodial muscle, to the medial position of the clavical. Right. After this, the jugular vein and the common corotoid artery is raised and an incision is made in both. As you probably know from your past biology and physiology classes, the capillaries, through the veins, return back to the heart; this is the path taken by the embalming fluid. 5. Aspiration and injection of other major cavities. An incision is made two inches posterior, and two inches lateral to the naval. An instrument is inserted to remove any foreign particles and to supplement the arterial embalming fluid to insure even distribution throughout the body. After these five steps, the body is now ready for dressing, cosmetizing, and casketing. This is the basic procedure as we know it today. You must realize, of course, that all people are different, and what Ive given you is a very basic outline. But, basic as it may he, you can now consider yourself more enlightened about the professional aspects of embalming, and can associate the mortuary profession not with humor, mystery or names, but a service to society. 1 . |