Embalming Fluids Research Paper
What of Embalming Fluids?
Our earliest knowledge of when/where embalming first occurred was around over
5,000 years ago in Egypt. Then, embalming was used for religious purposes and to keep
the body from decaying until Christianity began to dominate; Embalming purposes were
turned into being used for body preservation for dissection and studying. In the U.S
though, there originally wasn’t any true way of embalming for funeral reasons. Originally
we just used ice in order to slow the decomposing. In the 17th century, however, arterial
injection of the blood vessel had been developed and maybe only a few things have been
proven to be more effective than this development to prepare the dead
Modern embalmers are professionals with an understanding of many sciences. Each
case is unique and have different needs for disinfection, (temporary) preservation, and
restoration and each case takes it’s own time. But first, embalmers need the family’s
consent before being able to do such. As to donating your body to science, there is a
weight limit and your body may be rejected if it weighs too much or even if you are too
tall. There are different “recipes” of embalming fluid for the different cases of how long a
body is needed to be preserved, such like going over seas.
Embalming fluids prevent the bacteria that immediately begins to grow on and in the
deceased, from feeding on cellular proteins as well as it kills most of the decomposing
bacteria. It is to help give the body more of a natural look and feeling after death. Like
they’re just sleeping, so to speak. Many funeral directors encourage open casket funerals
because they are convinced that seeing the deceased is a necessary step in the grieving process. But, like everything, embalming does have its pros and cons. One con even
includes that embalming fluid can and has been, disturbingly, used as a drug. It is cheap,
Our earliest knowledge of when/where embalming first occurred was around over
5,000 years ago in Egypt. Then, embalming was used for religious purposes and to keep
the body from decaying until Christianity began to dominate; Embalming purposes were
turned into being used for body preservation for dissection and studying. In the U.S
though, there originally wasn’t any true way of embalming for funeral reasons. Originally
we just used ice in order to slow the decomposing. In the 17th century, however, arterial
injection of the blood vessel had been developed and maybe only a few things have been
proven to be more effective than this development to prepare the dead
Modern embalmers are professionals with an understanding of many sciences. Each
case is unique and have different needs for disinfection, (temporary) preservation, and
restoration and each case takes it’s own time. But first, embalmers need the family’s
consent before being able to do such. As to donating your body to science, there is a
weight limit and your body may be rejected if it weighs too much or even if you are too
tall. There are different “recipes” of embalming fluid for the different cases of how long a
body is needed to be preserved, such like going over seas.
Embalming fluids prevent the bacteria that immediately begins to grow on and in the
deceased, from feeding on cellular proteins as well as it kills most of the decomposing
bacteria. It is to help give the body more of a natural look and feeling after death. Like
they’re just sleeping, so to speak. Many funeral directors encourage open casket funerals
because they are convinced that seeing the deceased is a necessary step in the grieving process. But, like everything, embalming does have its pros and cons. One con even
includes that embalming fluid can and has been, disturbingly, used as a drug. It is cheap,