Homework 55- Cumulative Project Part 2: Embalming

Embalming: What it is, its effects, and its alternatives.

“Old-fashioned equipment, poor or marginal ventilation, non-protective latex, timeworn procedures, careless attitudes, use of high index/high exposure formaldehydes in many forms, absurdities such as gasoline/chlorinated solvents/toxic sprays, petrochemical based clown makeups, chemical overdrive by necessitation of formaldehyde repair chemicals, disposal nightmares by massive amounts of chemicals and incompatibilities such as bleach, etc., absurdities such as kerosene for maggots and gasoline/hexane based dry washes, hideously appearing rock hard/dehydrated bodies that destroy the natural lifelike appearance and require painting up with greasepaint mortuary cosmetics – all combine to make the embalming process needlessly dangerous, of marginal value and ridiculous in the eyes of modern society.”

-James H. Bedino, Chemist/Director of Research, The Champion Company

What is embalming?

Embalming is the process of temporarily preserving corpses to make them presentable for display at funerals.

The process:

Embalming is generally known as a 5-step process. The first step is preparing the body, where the face is shaved, and a disinfectant is sprayed to clean the skin, eyes, and mouth.

The second step is putting the body into its final position. This involves setting the face in a way that looks good. They put eye caps underneath the eyelids because the eyeballs usually set in. Sometimes the eyelids are glued together.

The embalming fluid, which is usually formaldehyde mixed with water, is injected into the arteries, while blood drains from the heart and veins. At the end of this filling/draining process, everything is tied up and the incisions are sutured shut.

After the arterial embalming is completed, the mortician completes the cavity embalming. This involves using a trocar, or a sharp spear-like object to puncture all of the internal organs. The body is then drained of all the remaining fluids before a stronger, more concentrated embalming mix is used to fill the torso.

After this process is completed the body and the hair are again washed. Make-up is applied and the body is dressed for the viewings.

Embalming rates:

The cremation rate in the United States was 36.02% in 2008. That leads to around 60% of people who died in 2008 to be buried. The overwhelming majority of people who get buried are also embalmed. This means that more then half the people that die each year in the United States are embalmed.

Embalming Risks:

Because embalming doesn’t actually stop bodies from decomposing, they just slow down the decomposition temporarily; the chemicals are released into the earth. As mentioned earlier, the main chemical used in embalming, formaldehyde, is toxic. With over half the people that die being embalmed with this fluid, the earth is constantly being polluted.

Alternatives to Embalming:

While many people chose embalming because it provides a desirable way to present the body. It makes the dead look alive but asleep.  It is also a long and gruesome process with many negative effects. On top of that, it doesn’t even do what people expect it to.

What people don’t know is that they don’t know is that there are other options to temporarily preserve the body. The cheapest, least harmful method is refrigeration. Refrigerating the body has almost the same effect as embalming. It allows for them to apply make-up and make the body look good, while saving the chemicals and the dangers. A big issue is that funeral homes make a lot of money off of embalming, as it is even considered an art. It requires a lot of work and materials. With refrigeration, it requires almost no work, and no materials, but funeral homes still want to maximize profit (an overarching problem to deal with) so they charge the same amount for refrigeration.

This isn’t fair because refrigeration is a viable, cheaper, healthier, and effective alternative. But even if it cost the same amount, it is still the better choice because it doesn’t harm the environment.

Final Statement:

Embalming is a commonly used process that is not only unnecessary, but also unhealthy. There are alternatives that are readily available and should be taken advantage of.

Works Cited:

Cremation Association of North America, August 2009 Report: "2007 Statistics and Projections to the Year 2025: 2008 Preliminary Data."

Bedino, James. "JUSTIFYING EMBALMING AND APOLOGIZING FOR FORMALDEHYDE: THE NEVER-ENDING DISINFECTION, PRESERVATION, RESTORATlON DEBATE IN THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY. ." N.p., 2009. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.themodernembalmer.com/pdfs/20080829justifyembalm.pdf>.

"The 5 Steps Of Embalming." Listverse. N.p., 08 Nov 2007. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://listverse.com/2007/11/08/the-5-stages-of-embalming/>.

"The Embalming Process." American Society of Embalmers. American Society of Embalmers, 2005. Web. 16 May 2011. < http://www.amsocembalmers.org/docs/embalming-process.pdf>