Embalming a corpse

Canotila · Jul 28, 2009

So, I've found some websites with step by step instructions of how it's done, but not written first hand experienced except for in the book Stiff, and the process is a bit glossed over there.

So a few questions about the tactile stuff.

At the point of embalming, are the eyes dessicated and sunken already?

What sound does a corpse make when a hole is poked in it? For example, when the jugular vein is punctured for purposes of putting the embalming fluid inside. Will any blood leak out, or is the blood pretty well thick and stagnant by then? How messy is it? Do you have to worry about spatter? Wear protective eye gear and aprons, etc.?

Does freezing damage the blood vessels to a point where using the circulatory system to deliver embalming fluids won't work?

If a corpse is frozen before rigor mortis sets in, will it set in while the corpse is still frozen? Or will it be flaccid after thawing and then get stiff a little while after defrosting?

What does it sound like when someone breaks rigor mortis in the limbs?

Sorry if any of the questions sound disrespectful, I couldn't think of any other way to ask them. And thank you for your time.

Sarpedon · Jul 29, 2009

In the last chapter of "The Private Life of Chairman Mao" they discuss the preservation of his corpse. They critique the jobs done with other communist leaders, for example lenin's nose had rotted away and had to be replaced with wax, and Ho Chi Minh's beard had fallen out. Apparently, in Mao's case it would have been as simple as injecting a large amount of Formaldehyde into a vein in his leg, if only they hadn't decided to use too much formaldehyde.

icerose · Jul 29, 2009

I am not an expert, in fact I've been doing research of my own because of one of my WIP's. http://www.embalming.net/ That site is created by a person who was curious.

This one is a step by step lacking the gruesome details from a funeral director. http://www.baris.net/bfh/embalm.html

Here are pictures. embalmingpictures.com/

Hopefully someone can come and fill in the actual details but hopefully this will help some.

jclarkdawe · Jul 29, 2009

I was hoping someone with more knowledge might respond. I've never worked in a funeral home, but I've seen a few autopsies. And I've dealt with a few bodies.

Canotila said:
So, I've found some websites with step by step instructions of how it's done, but not written first hand experienced except for in the book Stiff, and the process is a bit glossed over there.

So a few questions about the tactile stuff.

At the point of embalming, are the eyes dessicated and sunken already? Depends.

What sound does a corpse make when a hole is poked in it? Probably not much at all. Stomach might produce some gas escaping. For example, when the jugular vein is punctured for purposes of putting the embalming fluid inside. Will any blood leak out, or is the blood pretty well thick and stagnant by then? Very little will leak out from the incision until you start the process of embalming. Basically, embalming involves pumping in the embalming fluid and forcing the blood out. Clots might cause you to have to make multiple incisions to get around the clots. How messy is it? Messy enough that you use a hose and drain in the floor to clean up. Do you have to worry about spatter? Probably, but I don't know. Wear protective eye gear and aprons, etc.? Younger ones do, older ones maybe not. Apron has been used since the Egyptians.

Does freezing damage the blood vessels to a point where using the circulatory system to deliver embalming fluids won't work? One cycle of freezing probably won't cause any destruction. Multiple cycles will. Mainly a lot of care would have to be done during the re-thawing. And it's going to take a long time to completely thaw a fully frozen body.

If a corpse is frozen before rigor mortis sets in, will it set in while the corpse is still frozen? Shouldn't, but I'm not sure. Or will it be flaccid after thawing and then get stiff a little while after defrosting? Don't know.

What does it sound like when someone breaks rigor mortis in the limbs? Depends. Rigor mortis is like a bell curve, so it's hard to tell where in the process. It can make a snapping sound, less loud than a bone fracturing.

Sorry if any of the questions sound disrespectful, I couldn't think of any other way to ask them. And thank you for your time.

You might want to look at The Whole Death Catalog: A Lively Guide to the Bitter End. If you've got the stomach for it, you might ask a funeral home director if you could explore the embalming room, explaining why.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

raburrell · Jul 29, 2009

Only thing I can add is in regards to rigor post-freezing. rigor is due to something called an calcium/troponin complex acting on actin/myosin. Actin and myosin are proteins which pull on each other during contraction like a ratchet. To break the ratchet requires calcium ions and ATP (energy). Freezing wouldn't change any of that. So I think (but i'm going back to high school bio here) rigor would still set in, albeit at a reduced speed.

Smiling Ted · Jul 29, 2009

This is one of those questions where you should really go straight to the source. Call up a mortician or a coroner and ask...in other words, be a journalist.

If you try the LA County Coroner, I believe they even have a gift shop and a public information office you can try.

There's a list of "expert phone numbers" on the WGAw web site. Start there.

Embalming a corpse

Canotila

Sever your leg please.

Sarpedon

icerose

Lost in School Work

jclarkdawe

Feeling lucky, Query?

raburrell

Treguna Makoidees Trecorum SadisDee

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!