New Delhi: As the Dubai police hands over letters for the release of Bollywood diva Sridevi's body to her family for embalming, here’s a look at the process of preserving human body to delay decomposition.
What Is Embalming?
Embalming is the process of preserving the human body after death to delay decomposition. Human beings have been practising embalming in various forms for thousands of years.
The body is drained of blood and gases and pumped with replacement fluids to temporarily slow its disintegration.
While embalming is fairly common, it is rarely necessary or required by law -- contrary to popularly held opinion.
Many consumers, however, choose to have a body embalmed, particularly if there will be a traditional funeral with an open casket for viewing the deceased's body.
The Embalming Process
There are two main types of embalming: arterial and cavity. The arterial process works by replacing blood with embalming fluids, whereas cavity involves draining and filling the abdomen and chest.
Before embalming begins, the person who has died is washed with a disinfectant solution and the body is massaged to relieve any rigor mortis, when muscles and joints can become stiff after death. The eyes and mouth are closed.
In the case of arterial embalming, the blood is removed via the veins and replaced with embalming fluids via the arteries. Embalming solutions are commonly a mixture of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, methanol, ethanol, phenol, and water.
In the case of cavity embalming, the natural fluids inside the chest and abdomen are drained removed via a small incision. These fluids are then replaced by embalming solution and the small incision is closed.
After the embalming process is complete, the body is often cosmetically prepared for viewing. This involves once again washing the person who has died, dressing them, grooming their hair and applying make-up.
When Embalming is Necessary
State laws on embalming differ, but generally it's only required when:
A body will be transported by plane or train from one state or country to another. There is a week or more between the death and a burial or cremation.
The death occurred because of a communicable disease and embalming is likely protect the public from it (an extremely rare situation).
If a Body Isn't Embalmed
A body that isn't embalmed will decompose within days instead of weeks.
As an alternative, refrigerating a body will also slow its decomposition until it is viewed or transported for burial or cremation. Most hospitals and funeral homes have facilities for holding or refrigerating bodies.
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