What do morticians do to dead bodies

Q: What is the strangest request that you've ever received for a funeral service? A: We had a dead clown one time. This person was buried in full clown costume with makeup and all. The whole family was clowns. All the friends were clowns. And at the family's request, the funeral directors were clowns too. They supplied costumes and did our makeup. Family and friends had one tear drop painted on near the eye. Definitely my strangest. A: One time we had a person who did some acting and modeling in California.

A hand model. The family came in early to set up pictures and things. I showed them in, helped them get started then left them. I came back about 10 minutes later to check on them and just about every picture they put up was this person's hands from the various ads they did.

There were some family photos, but most were a pair of hands. Q: What is the most embarrassing thing you've done to a cadaver? A: I had this guy to prep one time. He had an intubater One piece of the tape was across his mustache. When I took the tape off, most of his mustache came with it.

So I shaved it. The wife was super pissed. She threatened to sue unless we fixed it. So what am I to do? I went to a costume shop and bought a pack of fake mustaches. We had a picture of him, but none of these mustaches worked.

I picked the best possible match and put it on him. We then called her to come look. We were nervous. It was bad. A drain tube, or angled forceps, is also placed in the vein to facilitate drainage of blood.

The hose, connected to the embalming machine, is then connected to the arterial tube directed towards the heart. The embalming machine is then adjusted to regulate pressure the force of the fluid and rate of flow speed of the fluid. These knobs are adjusted differently during embalming for each case to create the optimum rate of injection for the body.

The machine is switched on and the fluid begins to move through the hose, through the arterial tube and into the body. As the embalming fluid is pushed through the arterial system, the blood is forced out through the jugular vein. The body is vigorously massaged with a soapy sponge to help facilitate drainage and distribution of embalming fluid. The tissue will begin to firm and take on a rosy appearance, which is an excellent indication of adequate distribution and a successful embalming.

The tubes are then removed, the vein and artery tied off and the incision is sutured. Next, the cavity is treated. Fluid is suctioned from the hollow organs with an instrument called a trocar, then a high-index very strong fluid is placed into the cavity and the incision is closed with a small circular plastic button like device referred to as a trocar button.

The deceased is again washed. Their hair is combed and cream is placed on their face to prevent skin dehydration. The deceased is then covered and will remain in the preparation room until they are dressed, cosmetized and ready to be placed into a casket for viewing. Typically the viewing takes place a few days after death. So I will clean up the prep room and leave until it's time for the next embalming or until its time to dress and casket someone who's been previously embalmed.

If a person dies tragically murder, suicide, automobile accident the embalming process is drastically different. Tell us about something surprising, or unexpected, that happened to you while working:. I've had several interesting things happen on the job, but one particular moment comes to mind. I went in for a 3am embalming and heard a strange whisper.

I quickly fumbled for the lights and, upon turning them on, figured out that the noise was coming from the occupied stretcher. I approached with caution expecting the person inside could be alive.

However, upon unzipping the cover, I found a tape recorder that I later found out was playing a Buddhist chant. The next day the family explained that, ideally, a monk would be at the place of death to chant when the soul exits the body. Chanting calms the soul, which the buddhists believe, is in a state of confusion and fright after exiting the body.

The soul of the deceased must be put at ease with food and chant throughout the difficult time of transition. This particular experience was both enlightening and frightening! My job is fulfilling when a particularly difficult case comes out better than expected. If a family decides to keep a casket open, when they previously thought they wouldn't be able to, or when someone compliments my work.

The best compliment I got was from a woman whose daughter died of bone cancer. She took my hand and said, "Thank you, she's so beautiful, she looks like she could get up and dance. In other states they have separate licenses for funeral directors and embalmers. Even though I am licensed to perform all aspects of the business, I work as an embalmer because I enjoy that particular aspect of the business and found that it allows me to spend a significant amount of time with my family.

Trade embalmers, like myself, are paid by the job. Usually we work for more than one location and will embalm, dress, casket, cosmetize and do restorative work. Trade embalmers have the potential to make significantly more than the average funeral director depending on how many locations they work for and how busy those locations are.

However, we do not receive health benefits because we are not full-time employees. I'm fortunate enough to say that I have not made any major mistakes. When I was an intern, I was super careful and very aware that any mistake I made could potentially affect the grieving process of the deceased friends and loved ones, so I always consulted with senior funeral directors if I was unsure of what to do or how to proceed with difficult cases. I helped prepare my grandmother and embalmed my cousin and one of my high school teachers.

I would draw the line at mom or dad. Although I do know of a few embalmers who have embalmed their parents. Those of us who choose to handle the preparation of our friends and loved ones usually do so because we feel as though we can do the best job restoring their natural appearance because we knew them so well in life.

It is difficult, but it's a labor of love. Is it true that they have to 'wire' people's jaws shut, and put 'velcro' contact lenses in people's eyes, and stuff their cheeks with cotton wool? And is it true that the last thing that everybody ever does is evacuate their bowels? The mouth can be closed by suture or by using a device that involves placing two small tacks one anchored in the mandible and the other in the maxilla in the jaw.

The tacks have wires that are then twisted together to hold the mouth closed. This is almost always done because, when relaxed, the mouth stays open. We also use cotton to fill out hollow cheeks or give the appearance of teeth to those who have none, or are missing a few. The device under the eye is actually a serrated plastic eye cap that helps keep the eye closed. I do not enjoy the look of them, so I don't use them.

Cotton is usually sufficient to use under an eyelid if the eye has deflated. However, we usually don't need to use anything under the eyelid at all.

As for your last question, if someone hasn't recently evacuated their bowels they may defecate upon death but not always. It has left me with absolutely zero belief in ghosts,and a quiet and calm acceptance of death as a natural process. Just wondered how you view the subject of ghosts and all the other cliches connected with graveyards?

I feel much the same as you. I have yet to see anything that convinced me of the presence of ghosts. If they do exist, I'm sure they could think of better places to be than haunting me at the funeral home ;.

In my humble opinion, the deceased is a vessel where life once existed. Some religious beliefs will dictate simple garments or particular outfits or you may be able to choose any style of clothing. You may use clothing previously worn by the individual or you may purchase new clothing. When it comes to jewelry and mementos, keep in mind that anything you place with the deceased such as wedding rings, glasses, tie clips, etc. These items can be for temporary viewing purposes or they can be left with the individual indefinitely.

It is up to you. The final step is preparing the body for private or public viewing. Cosmetics will be applied and the hair will be styled according to your wishes. Always keep in mind that when making these final decisions, you have countless options. Aside from the basics, you can dictate to your funeral service professional exactly what you want when it comes to your loved one.

Embalmers are licensed technicians and, in most cases, are also Funeral Directors. To embalm the body, they inject preservative chemicals into the circulatory system. Using a special machine, the blood is removed and replaced with the embalming fluid. Federal law prohibits funeral providers from misrepresenting the legal necessity of embalming.

In fact, funeral providers are required to inform consumers that embalming is not required by law, except in certain special cases. And, it is unlawful to represent that embalming is required for:. Embalming dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt where it was used for mummification. In the United States, embalming gained favor during the Civil War as a way to preserve the remains of the dead soldiers for the long trip home.

Some religions are opposed to embalming because they believe the body should not be altered. Advances in genetic research and technology make it possible to create a unique genetic profile of each of us from our DNA.