The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-09-22

Modern embalming IS a science tna5
is almost unknown to the average
man of today The doctor, the lawyer
and the minister are closely followed
by the public in all they do, but the
undertaken has been let severely
alone. 1t is really strange how little
people know of this business. which
is going on about the public every
day in the year. A lady recently en-
tered one of the local undertaking es-
adjustments and during the course of
the conversation remarked: don t
see how you can like your business,
when you cut people up and take out
their stomachs." That woman was
an educated, refined lady, and, more
over, one who had seen many death
beds. And yet she was absolutely ig-
norant of what the undertaken does,
Of human being.
Undertakes say that they like their
business, and it must be so, or else
they would not be in it. Every one
has sympathy with the people with
whom they have to deal, but the I'M
dertaker, like every other man of pro-
fession, likes his work and takes pleas
ure in doing skilled work well. The
VI ID
pie, but still is delicate and difficult
work.
Enbalming.
Today the undertaken does what is
called arterial embalming almost en-
tirely. This process is based on sci
entific principles and stands to neason
to be the best method yet discovered.
The main idea is to preserve the dead
body by bringing it in contact with a
preservative. This is done by diStrb-
uting the embalming fluid through the
arteries of the body so that every
nook and corner which in life was fed
by the blood is in death preserved by
the liquid. To do this we'll is a deli
cate operation, but it can be done SO
as to preserve a body almost forever.
The embaIming fluid which is used
is composed of several ingredients,
and there are nearly as many fluids
as there are undertakers. Some I'M
dertakers make their own fluid and
some buy of dealers in such articles,
but all kinds contain formalin and ar
senfc, in addition to any other pre-
which the dealer may
choose to add to the compound. This
is injected into the large artery in
the forearm of the dead body, a small
pump forcing it in until the entire
system is filled with the fluid
This always takes at least two quarts
in an adult body and even as much as
seven quarts has been found neces-
sary in extreme cases. The last beat
Of the heart drives all the blood into
the veiIous SYSTEM, and so the ar
teries are found free for the fluid.
prAearuaSion
1t is said that a modern undertaken,
by using enough preservatives and by
fining the body cavities, as we'll as the
could preserve body indefi-
nitely, as did the Egyptians of old,
providing the body was not buried in
the ground A vault would have to
be the receptacle of body which was
to be preserved forever. In the
ground the time of preservation is
very short in spite of embaIming, as
nothing can resist the mysterious ac-
ton Of the earth. Slowly the chemi- |
cal action goes on after the body is
placed under ground, and then slight |
sinking of the grave gives a silent |
that the earth has won the |
day.
Once in a while a person will die |
who has expressed a wish not to be |
and the undertaken breads |
to have this happen. There is no way i
Of foretelling what will happen if the |
body is not properly prepared for |
burial and every time an undertaken |
does not embalm body he risks his !
reputation. Anything wrong would |
ruin him. In most of the states of |
the Union law has been passed max /
ing it crime to bury a person whose !
body has not been properly embalmed |
by a licensed undertaken. |
Undertaking is the one business in |
he universe where a man cannot get |
put and hustle for business. The I'M
1ertaker is absolutely helpless and |
relies On chance alone. All he can |
10 to secure his share of trade is to |
abor faithfully and do mis- best every |
Tine. In that event, even if a good /
word is not said for him, nothing can !
De said against him.
Recent Progress.
A generation ago the art of arterial |
was unknown, and even in |