Embalming preserves a dead body for viewing during a funeral. The process dates back to ancient Egypt and involves injecting chemicals into the bloodstream. Modern embalming began during the American Civil War to allow for open-casket funerals. Vladimir Lenin’s well-preserved embalmed corpse is on display in Moscow.
Embalming is the process of preserving a dead body, usually so that it can be viewed during a funeral ceremony. Generally, when embalming is not done within several days of a person’s death, their body will begin to decompose. To ensure this does not happen, preservative chemicals will be used so that the body of the deceased can be seen during an open-casket funeral.
The embalming process has a very long history, dating back to the Egyptian mummification process. Although their techniques were very different from those used today, the effect was the same: to preserve an individual’s body after death. In the case of the ancient Egyptians, they believed that the spirit would return to the body after death, so it must remain in good condition. To preserve the corpses, they covered the bodies with a drying chemical called natron, and then wrapped them in linen sheets.
Today, embalming is done by injecting chemicals directly into the bloodstream to preserve the appearance of the corpse. The most commonly used embalming chemicals are formaldehyde and ethanol. A combination of these two chemicals is enough to preserve the body for a short time; to keep it in good condition for a longer period, a solution composed almost entirely of formaldehyde would be used.
Modern embalming occurred during the American Civil War, in which many soldiers died in battle far from their families. Families wanted an open-casket funeral for their loved one, so preservation techniques were approved so that the body would look as close to normal as possible for the funeral.
There are several steps involved in modern embalming. First, the embalming fluid is injected directly into the deceased’s blood vessels and pushed through the body with a mechanical pump. Subsequently, the internal organs are emptied of their contents and filled with embalming fluid. The chemicals are then injected under the skin where necessary, followed by a final superficial embalming on the injured areas of the body.
One of the most famous embalmed corpses today is Russian Communist leader Vladimir Lenin, whose embalmed corpse is on display at the Red Square Mausoleum in Moscow. The curators of the Mausoleum say that the corpse is very well preserved and should last at least another hundred years.
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