The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-06-11
EMeAlMlNe lNvENTIoNe.
Interesting Talk with a Man Whose Worn
1t Is to Preserve the Dead.

EMBALMiNG INVENTIONS.
Interesting Talk with a Man Whose Worn
1t Is to Preserve the Dead.
IF there is any one thing that tends
to make the undertaking business a
profession, it is the study that has to
be given to embalming," said one Of
the most experienced embalmers to
reporter. ''We are becoming more
scientific in our business in this re-
spect every day. and wonderful i'm
provements have been made in the art
the last few years. Why, most people
think that we can't embalm a body
without mutilating it. But we can,
and in fact embalming properly done
and with proper subject needs no
mutilation at the present day. To do
the work properly the operation should
be begun between two and six hours
after death, and in a proper subject
only one treatment is really necessary.
This is a full distribution of certain
liquids in the veins by means of a
force-pump. But we have cases some
times that we can't get along with as
easily as this. Not long ago had a
case of Southerner, who died at one
of the big hotels here, who weighed
between two hundred and three hun
dred pounds. I had to put him on ice
the first thing; then thawed him out,
and thus got the arteries and veins
soft, so as to easily send the embalm-
ing liquid through them. The case
was a decided success. It was sent to
Louisiana and reached there all right
and in excellent condition"
''What is there new in embalming
appliances?"
''Amumber of things, and all import
ant Several of them are my own
invention. One is a portable embalm-
ing table, which can be so folded up
that one man can carry it easily, and
yet when in shape it can hold five
hundred pounds weight, if necessary.
1t is so made that the body can be held
in an inclined position, something that
is necessary in the process. To go
with this, have invented a head rest
and arm rests. These are new and not
on the market yet. They are made of
brass, nickel-plated, and fasten on to
the table by adjustable screws. The
whole outfit costs seventy-five dollars.
In response to the growing public de-
mand in this matter, we attach canopy
of velvet drapery to even the embalm-
among people to have the body of their
friends or relations surrounded by ma
terials pleasing to the eye in every
stage of its preparation for burial The
table has a small rod at each corner,
and upon cords attached to these the
canopy is hung. The drapery extends
nearly to the floor from the edge of the
table and is black for adults and purple
for children, both trimmed with heavy
cord and tassels of white corded silk.
A notable thing about embalming is
that there is a growing desire among
people to be embalmed. It is shown
in the increased demand for the appli-
ances from all parts of the country, and
in another way which may strike you
as somewhat odd. This is by persons
coming in and arranging to have their
bodies embalmed whenever they shall
die. l have had people come in here
a year before they died and make ar
rangements for their entire funeral.
The idea of being put on ice is very re-
pulsive to most people, and as it is
known that this is not necessary in
embalming, people who can afford it
wish to have their bodies embalmed.
This is particularly noticeable among
people of means. One man, who was
about sixty years old and something of
an invalid, but who was able to walk,
came in and paid cash down in gold
for all his funeral arrangements, six
months before he died. Not long ago
an elderly lady, who was sick, sent
her daughter for price-list of her fu-
neral expenses. Other women have
made their funeral arrangements in
advance; one, young woman who
had consumption, bravely faced what
was coming and prepared fully for it
without finching. From my expert
ence 1 find that women think more
about death than men. The charge
for embalming is between fifty and
one hundred dollars, according to the
time occupied and other circumstances.
The process we now follow smOOthes
out the death contractiOns of the face
and makes it look very natural. Or
dinarily embalmed bodies have been
found in excellent preservation after
three months, when kept in 8 vault. "
N. 7. Mail and Express.