Introduction about Embalming and History of embalming chemical composition and types of fluids and i have mentioned with watever i have used reference

2. CONTENTS.
 INTRODUCTION
 HISTORY
 CHEMICAL FLUIDS
 TYPES
 REFERENCES

3. Definition:-
Embalming is one of humankind’s longest practiced arts,
is a means of artificially preserving the dead human
body.
Modern embalming is defined as the study & science of
treating a dead human body to achieve antiseptic
condition, a pre mortem appearance & preservation.

4. Introduction:-
Esmond R Long M.D., a Medical Historian
‘Nothing gives a better perspective of the subject than an
appreciation of the steps by which it has reached its
present state’

5. Types of preservation
 Natural means.
 Artificial means.

6. Natural means of preservation
 Freezing – ice, snow, glaciers.
 Dry cold – cold dry air.
 Dry heat – dry warm air.
 Nature of the soil at the place of interment.

7. Freezing
Inca human sacrifice Snowcapping

8. Dry cold
Dry cold preservation of Bishop Peder Winstrup, 1605-1679,
church of Sweden.

9. Dry heat
Egyptian mummies

10. Nature of soil
 Long term burial in peat bogs.
 Soil impregnated with salt, aluminium or copper.

11. Artificial means of preservation
 Simple heat
 Powders
 Evisceration & immersion
 Evisceration, local incision & immersion
 Evisceration & drying
 Simple immersion
 Arterial injection
 Arterial injection & evisceration
 Cavity injection & immersion
 Arterial injection & cavity treatment
 Artificial cold

12. Simple heat
 Simple heat – slow drying in an oven that is heated
with mixture of slaked lime.

13. Powders
 Powders – sawdust + zinc sulphate or other
preservatives.

14. Evisceration & immersion
 Evisceration & immersion – used by Egyptians.

15.  Evisceration & drying – Guanche method.
 Evisceration, local incision & immersion – Europe
 Simple immersion – alcohol, brine or other liquid
preservatives.
 Arterial injection & evisceration – Hunter Brothers
 Cavity injection & immersion – Gabriel Clauderus
method.

16.  Arterial injection – mode of treatment of Gannal,
Sucquet.
 Arterial injection & cavity treatment – Modern
method.
 Artificial cold – refrigeration inhibits bacterial
activity.

17. Period of embalming history
1st period
 Originated in Egypt.
 3200 BC to 650 AC.
 Religious motive, believe in resurrection.
 Variation in techniques.

18. Continue..
2nd period
 650 AD to 1861
 Practiced in Europe.
 Period of Anatomists.
 Motive is to advance the development of
embalming.

19. Continue..
3rd period or modern period
 1861 till now.
 Europe to America.
 Funeral purpose, sentiments, public
transportations.
 Preserve for further study & research in anatomy.

20. Chemicals & fluids
 Preservatives
 Germicides
 Buffers
 Wetting agent
 Anticoagulants
 Dyes
 Vehicle
 Perfuming agent

21. Preservatives
 Formaldehyde
 Methanol
 Phenol

22. Formaldehyde
 Discovered in 1856, by british chemist, August
Wilheld Von Hofmann.
 Colourless
 Pungent odour
 Commercially available as formalin containing 37% of
formaldehyde in water.
 7% methyl alcohol, 37% formaldehyde remaining water.

23. Methanol
 Volatile, inflammable & poisonous.
 If consumed, causes blindness & death.
 Best preservative that precipitates proteins and kills
many organisms.
 Best useful dilution is 75% isopropyl alcohol.
 It is cheaper, toxic than ethanol.
 Stabilises formalin.
 Penetrates & diffuses easily.

24. Phenol
 Carbolic acid, Coal tar derivative, extremely
poisonous, colourless, Crystalline solid.
 Light exposure, turns dark(oxidation).
 Rapidly absorbed by protein contents of tissues.
 Non soluble in water, Soluble in ether, ethanol,
chloroform & glycerine.
 Powerful germicide & fungicide.
 Greying of tissues.

25. Germicides
 Surface disinfectants
 Kill microbes
 Eg: phenolic derivatives, zephiran chloride,
glutaraldehyde.

26. Buffers
 Weak acids or basic salts are used to stabilise the pH,
called buffers.
 Stability of the chemicals in embalming depends on
pH of the medium.
 Eg: sodium borate, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium
carbonate, sodium carbonate.

27. Wetting agent
 Lowers high surface tension of water & facilitates
penetration and distribution of embalming fluids.
 Eg: glycerine, glycol, sorbitol, sodium lauryl sulphate.

28. Anticoagulants
 Used to precipitate the calcium to non ionized state.
 They maintain blood in liquid state & facilitate
removal of blood and distribution of arterial fluids.
 Eg: sodium citrate, sodium oxalate

29. Dyes
 Produce an internal cosmetic effect that simulates
natural colouring of tissues.
 Eg: tetra bromo fluorescein(eosin), ponceau,
erythrosine, amaranth, acid fuchsin, toludine red &
rhodamine.

30. Vehicles
 Diluents or solvents or a mixture of solvents.
 Helps the ingredients in solution in a stable and
uniform state during transport through vascular
system to different parts of body.
 Eg: alcohols, glycerine, sorbitol, water

31. Perfumes
 Masking agents, water soluble or made water soluble
by surfactants.
 They are floral compounds.
 Eg: methyl salicylate(oil of winter green), clove oil,
cinnamon oil of peppermint(minthol) or lavender.

32. Muscle relaxants
 Relaxes smooth muscles in arterial wall & assist flow of
fluids in vascular system.
 Eg: magnesium chloride

33. Disinfection
Disinfectant - agent used to inanimate by destroying
microbial agent but not bacterial spores.
Germicide - agent used to inanimate by destroying
microbial agent but not bacterial spores.
Sterilization – effective decontaminates completely.

34. Embalming fluids
 Arterial fluids
 Cavity fluids
 Pre injection fluids

35. Arterial fluids
 Injected into vascular system.
 Dilution varies with types of bodies – dehydrated,
obese, oedematous.
 Also varies with special conditions like – refrigerated
bodies, burnt bodies, infants.

36. Arterial fluids for obese subject
1 Preservatives formalin
methanol
10 %
55%
2 Buffers Sodium borate 15 gm.
3 Anticoagulants Sodium citrate 15 gm.
4 Wetting agent Glycerine 15%
5 Germicide Phenol 5%
6 Vehicle Water 15%
7 Fungicide Thymol Few crystals
8 Dye 1% Eosin 5 ml.
9 Perfume Winter green oil 10 ml.

37. Arterial fluids for thin subjects
1 Preservatives formalin
methanol
10 %
55%
2 Buffers Sodium borate 15 gm.
3 Anticoagulants Sodium citrate 15 gm.
4 Wetting agent Glycerine 20%
5 Germicide Phenol 5%
6 Vehicle Water 10%
7 Fungicide Thymol Few crystals
8 Dye 1% Eosin 5 ml.
9 Perfume Winter green oil 10 ml.

38. Cavity fluids
 Fluids injected into body cavities i.e. thoracic,
abdominal and pelvic cavities with a trocar.
 For an average body, about 2 lts of cavity fluid is
injected.
 Preserves & disinfects the walls & parenchyma of
organs, contents of hollow viscera & space between
visceral organs.

39. Cavity fluid compositions
1 Formalin 60%
2 Methanol 25%
3 Glycerine 2.5%
4 Phenol 10%
5 Mercuric chloride 1%
5 Lavender 1%

40. Pre injection fluids
Death
Forces greater
volume of blood
to capillary bed &
venous system

41. Continues..
 Pre injection fluid is injected before injecting arterial
fluids.
 It allows to drain the blood from vascular system.
 4 to 5 litters injected, wait for 30min before injecting
arterial fluids.
 Loosens clots, improves drainage.
 Contains anticoagulants & buffers.

42. Fluids used in dissection laboratories
Paint mixture – for keeping moist.
1 Glycerine 75%
2 Alcohol 10%
3 Phenol 5%
4 Water 10%

43. Tank (immersion) fluid – for immersing cadavers
1 Formalin 15%
2 Glycerine 20%
3 Phenol 5%
4 Water 60%

44. Cloth fluid – prevent drying of area under dissection &
isolated dissected part.
1 Formalin 5%
2 Glycerine 50%
3 Phenol 5%
4 Water 40%

45. Methods of embalming
 Arterial embalming
 Cavity embalming
Supplemental method
 Hypodermic embalming
 Surface embalming

46. Hypodermic embalming
 To preserve small or large local body areas by
subcutaneous injection.
 May be arterial fluid or cavity fluid.
 Hypodermic syringe, 8 to 19 gauge of varying length.

47. Surface embalming
 Local body areas are preserved by applying suitable
chemicals to surface of the body.
 May be arterial or cavity fluid.
 Packs of cotton or gauge are soaked, applied to eternal
skin.
 Eg: burned tissues, bed sores, surface lesions

48. Embalming procedure
Factors determining the flow of fluids into tissues
 capillary resistance,
 chemical composition,
 injection pressure,
 osmosis, diffusion & gravity.

49. Gravity injection
 Traditional, safest, simplest & least expensive.
 Graduated glass bottle, 10 litters with an outlet.
 Outlet is corked through which the nozzle is passed,
connected to transparent rubber tube with screw
clamp to regulate rate of flow.
 Other end is attached to injecting needle or cannula.
 Bottled filled with arterial fluid is kept 4 to 6 feet from
embalming table.
 Raise of 1 foot gives fluid pressure of 0.43 pound.

50. Electric pump
 Simple device generates pressure to force fluid from
tank to vascular system.
 Provides steady & high pressure.
 Delivers 8 to 10 litres within 30 to 45 min.

51. References
• Ajmani, M.L (1998) 'Embalming: principles & legal
aspects', , (), pp. .
Andrew, L. Hodges (2006) 'Embalming explained',
• Internet source

52. Thank you