Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-08-26
THE Art OF ENBALMTNG
The Modern Process Inferior to That
Used in Ancient Egypt, but Gaining in


Used in Ancient Egypt, but Gaining in
Favor.
From the New York Sun.
Two men sat silent in a handsome
ly furnished store on a leading New
York thoroughfare. A small portion
of the furniture and ornaments per.
tanned to the living, the remainder to
the dead. 1t was an undertaken es.
Establishment, and the younger and
more solemn person was a profession,
al embalmer. In answer to the re-
porter's questions, he said:
"Gen. Grants embalming was work
of the finest kind-something to be
proud Of. It was done by the leader
OF our profession, and with the best
materials in the market. There are
many mortuary directors who pro.
TESS to be embalmers, and who know
q smattering of the art; but they are
unworthy of the name. Real embalm.
ers are few in number, there not being
more than ten in the entire country
To be one, an undertaken must have
sufficient knowledge of surgery, med.
icine and chemistry, and must also
have considerable artistic sense. This
makes a rare combination.
"The chief element in embalming con
sists IN removing a large portion OF
blood from the body and substituting
therefor some powerful antiseptic fluid
Many experiments have been made in
respect to these liquids. l can hardly
recall how many preparations
have been tried. Brine, salicylic acid,
diluted creosote, solutions of sulphate
Of zinc, and the iodide and chloride OF
that metal. You see, the fluid used
must be nearly colorless, or else verg-
ing on blood color, and must not
cause discoloration. This precludee
the use of salts OF copper, iron, man.
ganese, and chromium, and also com.
pounds of sulphur.
ga solution of chloride Of zinc was
at one time IN vogue, but in several
instances it produced CHASTITY blush
tinge, and SO went entirely out Oh
fashion. The so-called Egyptian fluid
was standard preparation for years
1t was SO named by it's manufacturer,
who claimed that it was the same
liquid as was used in preparing the
mummies of Egypt. 1t was improved
upon, however, by some American
chemists, who now have q practical
monopoly in supplying embaIners with
the fluid. Their manufacture is styled
the Oriental fluid, and is made in Bos-
ton,
GIN embalming, a large vein and
large artery are opened and a small
force pump connected with a vessel
containing the antiseptic fluid, is ap-
piled. The process requires from two
to four hours. The natural move
ment of the circulation is followed.
AS the fluid enters the vessels the blood
is forced out. The longer the time the
better the result. A short time en-
ables the operator to remove the
blood from only the larger vessels. In
a longer period the fluid passes from
the larger to the smaller vessels and
into the capillaries. This distends
the skin and produces a ife-like ap-
pearance.
'"The cost Of the process is from ST.
upward. Embalming grows more
common every year. In the past
thirty months our establishment has
embalmed about 200 subjects. We
are still behind the ancients in our
work. In the main, a subject well
treated lasts three years. This is a,
fair average. It would be larger if it
were not for occasional cases in which
the antiseptic liquids seem to lose
their efficiency. There is, however, a
distinguished chemist in Italy who
claims to petrify subject by using
some silicate preparation. Though |
have not seen the process employed,
yet | have been shown specimens
which resembled petrifactions.
GA second duty of the embalmer is
the same as that Of an undertaken, to
make the subject as life-like and nat
ural as possible. There is a division
in the profession at this point. Some
endeavor by art to restore almost all
the characteristics of life; others mere
Iy endeaVor to remove the disagree
able insignia Of death. AS for myself,
think it proper to conceal the marks
OF wounds, accidents or disease No
art can take away thehorror of death.
Its excess makes death the more ter
rible by contrast.
'"The embalmer runs the risk Of dis
ease and blood poisoning. A subject
once preserved and treated is innoc-
uous; but in the process the germs Of
the disease from which he died are ex-
PEELED in vast numbers in the blood.
The operator in such cases always
runs the risk of contagion and infec-
ton. Blood poisoning is as apt to
occur to the embalmer as to the sur
geon. The danger in all these cases,
however, can be guarded against.
Those who are attacked arenine times
out Of ten ignorant funeral directors,
who call themselves embalmers when
they are not
How Sick Elephants are Doctored.