Embalming in America first grew in popularity during the Civil War. Often the men died far from home and the families wanted their dead returned to them for final services. Medical embalmers began working right on the battlefields. There was a new public awareness of embalming when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. His body was displayed during a funeral procession that began in Washington, D.C. and led all the way to Springfield, IL. People that saw the body realized that it was possible to keep and view the dead for long periods of time. For reasons such as this one, embalming became an important aspect of the American way of death.

Embalming has undergone a resurgence in the twentieth century in North America. It is done purely for cosmetic reasons and the results last until just a short time after burial. The body fluids are removed and replaced with disinfecting and preserving chemicals. It takes two to four hours for a specially trained and licensed practitioner to complete the entire job.

The sooner embalming is started, the better. The process begins with a thorough washing of the hair, body, and all orifices with soap and water. If rigor mortis has set in, limbs must be flexed and the head elevated to relieve it. Any skin lesions, fever blisters, etc. that are found on the body, are drained and disinfected at this time. The throat, nasal passages, anus, and vagina in the case of females, is packed with cotton that is saturated with phenol solution, or a cavity embalming solution. Next, an artery is selected in which to inject the embalming solution. There are many commercial solutions available, but the basis of them all is formaldehyde and methyl alcohol. After four to six pints of the fluid have been injected, the draining of the blood begins from a vein. At first, the blood coming out is thick, but as the preservative works it’s way through the body, the blood becomes thinner. In order to circulate the fluid properly, the embalmer uses hand held roller-massagers over the skin.

This process does not reach the intestines and other internal organs. Cavity embalming is done by inserting a trocar just above the navel. A trocar is a long hollow metal tube with a removable sharp point, and it is attached to a suction device. When inserted, it pierces the stomach, intestines, rectum, bladder and liver. Bits of tissue, blood clots, food, feces, urine and gasses are sucked out. The trocar is then pushed through the diaphragm and into the chest, and the sucking continues. Concentrated preserving fluids are then put into the abdomen and chest through the trocar. Any incisions that have been made, are now closed with sutures, and the body is washed once more. This is the basic process used on adult bodies that have not been damaged or autopsied.

Making the face look presentable is very important as this is the part of the body that the family will see. To keep the mouth closed, the embalmer uses intricate internal stitches. There are several different methods, but the most popular for adult bodies is as follows. A needle is passed from the inner surface of the lower lip, up in front of the gums, through into one nostril, across to the other nostril and back again into the mouth behind the upper lip. Cotton wool is placed between the gums and lips to give the face a more natural appearance. Eyes tend to shrink from the embalming fluid so a thin piece of cotton or a plastic “eyecap” is slipped under the eyelids. Eyelids are kept closed by coating the edges with vaseline or eye cement. Now the body is ready for the cosmetician.

The practice of cremation is widespread throughout the world. In the Western world it is generally accepted and is seen by some as a solution to the urban problem of overcrowded cemeteries. However, it’s practice in the U.S. remains low as compared with other nations. Cremation is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism and only fairly recently has been approved by the Roman Catholic Church. Hindus are among the largest group of cremation practitioners in the United States.

Funeral directors tend to downplay the choice of cremation. This is because more money can be made from embalming and burial. Many states forbid scattering the ashes of a loved one in the ocean or to the earth because of supposed health hazards. However, it is more likely that this is discouraged because no money can be made from this practice, whereas money is made when the ashes are kept in an urn in a commercial vault or garden.

Cremation is accomplished by placing the dead body in an oven-like structure called a retort. The heat is created by cracked petroleum or gas and usually reaches a temperature of 2,500 F. The intense heat is what destroys the body – not flames. It takes two to four hours to reduce a corpse to bone fragments depending on the size of the body. The retort is cooled, and the contents are removed. Materials other than human remains are separated from the bone fragments, and then the fragments are pulverized and placed in an urn. The practice of cremation is slowly increasing, and this has led to the formation of memorial societies. They are nonprofit membership organizations that contract for cremations at low cost to members. Many Americans now belong to these societies and prearrange their own funerals.