Warning – the following article contains explicit details about the
embalming process.
The
Embalming
Process
This is a description of what is
involved in a routine embalming
process, i.e. where no post mortem has been carried out.
The embalmer will normally wear full protective
equipment (PPE) to prevent contamination from
splashes or spillage.
The body is placed on stainless steel or porcelain
table, then washed with a germicide-insecticideolfactant. The insides of the nose and mouth are
swabbed with the solution.
Rigor mortis (stiffness) is relieved by massage.
(Rarely but sometimes, tendons and muscles
are cut in order to place the body in a more
natural pose if limbs are distorted by disease,
e.g., arthritis.)
Massage cream is worked into the face and hands
to keep the skin soft and pliable.
Facial features are set by putting cotton in the nose,
eye caps below the eyelids, a mouth former in the
mouth (cotton or gauze in the throat to absorb
purging fluids). The mouth is then tied shut with
wire or sutures. (Glue may be used on the eyelids
and lips to keep them closed in an appropriate
pose.) Facial hair is shaved if necessary.
Arterial embalming is begun by injecting
embalming fluid into an artery while the blood
is drained from a nearby vein or from the heart*
by Fran Hall