Anatomy: Embalming
Embalming is the process of treating a corpse with preservatives in order to prevent decay.
Embalming a body involves a few fairly simple processes. A special vaccuum called an aspirator is used to suck the fluid from the thoracic and abdominal cavities where organs reside. In the actual embalming, a tube is inserted into the cadaver's jugular vein, and embalming fluid (phenol, formaldehyde) pushes the blood into the heart, and ramifies from there into the rest of the body. The blood (which is under pressure because of the embalming fluid) comes out the carotid. By this time, the embalming fluid has been through the blood system, preserving the inside of the body for the next few weeks (long enough for the funeral and burial).
Restorative Art is the name of the process for making the corpse look presentable. RA involves mostly makeup and wax (some of us saw wax heads at the Nat'l Museum of Science & Health at NIH). Wax can be used to smooth over wounds, stitches, and scars, but can also be used to reconstruct large parts of the face and head, which is often the case in car accidents. Gary has had to build whole halves of faces with wax. Swollen areas on bodies cannot be fixed. Another prop used is a shaped plastic insert in the mouth that mimics the presence of teeth.
Because of all this physical work, DeVol funeral directors generally wear jeans and tee shirts, and dress up only when meeting with clients.
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