Currently, the preservation of bodies of dead people is done by taking blood and other fluids and injecting a solution of water and formaldehyde to stop the decomposition process. Embalming techniques have been known for over 4,000 years.
The Egyptians believed that we used our body even after death, so it was necessary to conserve it. This technique is still used today, but not to make mummies, but to transport bodies and preserve them during the wake.
Closed body
A modern version of embalming emerged in the 17th century, with the English physiologist William Harvey, a pioneer in the description of blood circulation.
1. As decomposition works quickly, the sooner the process starts, the better. The body is cleaned with the body placed on a surgical table, undressed and washed with disinfectants and germicides. Then, it is necessary to remove the rigidity of the body (rigor mortis), massaging the muscles and face.
2. An 8 cm incision is made between the shoulder and neck. From this opening, the carotid artery is pulled, where a small tube is inserted. It is attached to a machine that pumps blood out of the body. Through the same channel, the embalming fluid is injected.
3. The fluid is composed of water and formaldehyde. To preserve the body, 4 liters of fluid are needed for every 23 kg of the deceased’s weight. Gradually, the solution fills the spaces where the blood was taken. This prevents the organs from dehydrating and breaking down.
4. Another, smaller incision is made near the navel. Through there, the trocar is inserted, a surgical instrument that is 5 to 12 mm in diameter and is similar to an antenna. Attached to an aspirator, its function is to remove gases from body fluids that accumulate mainly in the digestive system.
5. After approximately three hours of procedure, it is time to close the incisions: the artery used for drainage is sutured, as well as the other openings made in the skin. In addition to being washed again, the body is disinfected and dressed. The embalming team’s work is done.
6. Enter the person responsible for making cosmetic interventions and hiding blemishes on the skin. He applies moisturizer and makeup to make you look as close as possible to how you looked in life. It’s even worth a trim in the hair or beard.
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Bodies of famous leaders left on display after death
Lenin: the leader of the Russian Revolution, dead since 1924, has his body exposed to this day in Red Square, in Moscow. Stalin, Lenin’s successor at the helm of the Soviet Union, was also embalmed and spent two years on display before being buried.
Lincoln: the former US president was so important to the end of slavery that, even after he was dead, he toured the country for 19 days. Embalming bodies became widespread in the US during the Civil War. This made it easier to transport victims over long distances.
Kim Jong-Il: the former dictator of North Korea was also embalmed. His body has been on permanent display at the Kumsusan Mausoleum in the capital Pyongyang since December 2012.
CONSULTANCY Marivaldo Silva, thanatopraxy coordinator at Grupo Vila (Recife, PE)
SOURCES Union of Funeral Service Establishments of the State of Paraná; American Society of Embalmers; BBC History; BBC News Magazine; Britannica Online; ConMed Endosurgery; The Guardian; The Morning News; The New York Times