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Embalming is carried out to preserve the body of the deceased for a range of reasons, such as religious practices, educational needs, or for viewing at funerals. The following historical facts delve into the intricate developments that have shaped the embalming methods we use today. These revelations are as captivating as they are occasionally eerie.
10. Leonardo Da Vinci
In the 15th century, the quest for a deeper understanding of human anatomy led to the development of experimental techniques in body preservation. Among the most famous individuals to take on this arduous task was Leonardo da Vinci, who outlined a method for intravenously injecting a variety of fluid mixtures.
One such mixture that da Vinci explored included lavender oil, rosin, wine, turpentine, sodium and potassium nitrate, camphor, and wax. Two centuries later, Peter the Great came across Frederik Ruysch’s “repository of curiosities,” which detailed the process of injecting liquor balsamicum, a mysterious concoction made of clotted pig’s blood, Berlin blue, and mercury oxide. In awe, Peter the Great marveled at the effectiveness of Ruysch’s solution, noting, “I saw boys and girls 4 years old, visibly well vascularized, with open eyes and soft little bodies, and they were not even in alcohol.”
9. A New Opportunity Emerges
During the US Civil War, embalming became a crucial necessity for preserving the bodies of deceased soldiers during their long journey back home. After the passing of President Lincoln’s close friend, Union Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, surgeon Thomas Holmes was tasked with embalming the body. Holmes's remarkable work garnered widespread acclaim, including praise from Mrs. Lincoln, leading to a surge in demand for his embalming services.
He began selling his secret formula for $3 per gallon and was soon commissioned as a captain in the US Army Medical Corps. His embalming fee for an officer was $50, while for an enlisted man it was $25, though these prices eventually increased to $80 and $30, respectively.
As word spread about the lucrative potential of embalming, surgeons, pharmacists, and anyone willing to take a chance flocked to the battlefields in search of fallen officers, knowing families would pay for the service. Although it was concerning that embalming was being performed by opportunistic civilians rather than the military, it marked a significant step forward for the evolution of embalming techniques.
8. A Remarkable 166 Years
To call Martin Van Butchell an eccentric dentist would be a generous understatement. He was a man whose lifestyle was far from conventional, and despite his respectable profession, his behavior in both social and professional circles was often considered inappropriate.
When his wife, Mary, passed away in 1775, Martin enlisted the help of his friend William Hunter, a renowned anatomist who had assisted in Queen Charlotte’s labor, to preserve her remains. After Mary’s embalming, Martin displayed her body for public viewing in his office window. The Morning Post vividly detailed the embalming process, not sparing any graphic details.
Eventually, her embalmed remains were displayed at the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London, where they remained on public display until they were destroyed by German bombs in May 1941.
7. The Mystery of Five Human Hearts
Beneath a 14th-century French convent, archaeologists recently uncovered five well-preserved embalmed human hearts. This discovery offers significant insight into health practices centuries ago. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect is that one of the hearts, belonging to a knight, was buried alongside the well-preserved body of his wife. This was a common custom, as the heart was seen as a symbol of the soul.
During the Late Middle Ages, European royalty underwent embalming by physicians using techniques inspired by ancient Egyptians. By the 16th century, the body was washed, infused with herbs and spices such as lavender and thyme, and dehydrated with powders and ointments. The body, or parts of it, would then be wrapped in layers of waxed cloth, sealed with beeswax, and placed in a lead coffin or urn. This intricate preservation method is an archaeologist’s dream, as working with organic materials is rare, considering they naturally decay after death.
6. Brandy vs. Rum
One of Britain’s most revered military figures, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, was fatally shot in October 1805 during the Battle of Trafalgar in the Napoleonic Wars. The ship’s surgeon, William Beatty, decided to preserve Nelson’s body for the long journey back to England. However, preservation methods in the early 1800s were quite different from today. Nelson’s remains were placed in a drum filled with brandy, and the liquid was regularly replenished depending on how much fluid the body absorbed.
When the ship arrived in England, Beatty faced harsh criticism for choosing brandy over rum, which was traditionally regarded as a better preservative. However, his decision was justified when the ship’s officers observed Nelson’s undecayed state two months after his death.
5. Home-Based Embalming Practices
As embalming became more common in the 19th century, professional parlors began to emerge, though they remained rare. As a result, most embalming procedures took place in the deceased’s home. This was undoubtedly a distressing sight for any family members who chose to remain present during the procedure.
As if the profession weren’t already unsettling, embalmers had to transport various portable tools and equipment, such as a cooling table where the body would be laid for both embalming and viewing. Despite the name, cooling tables did not feature refrigeration. Other essential tools included: mouth clamps, scalpels, drain tubes, glass syringes, large jars of embalming fluid, drapes for the cooling table, cosmetics, curling irons, razors, and sharpening stones.
4. Against One’s Wishes
In keeping with her religious convictions, Madeline Post had specifically requested that her remains be cremated after her passing. However, following her death from cancer in November 2000, her body was not transported to a Fort Lauderdale, Florida crematorium as planned. Instead, her remains were 'rented' by Lynn University for embalming training, where students practiced their skills on her body.
Once her body had been used as part of the final exam, Post’s violated remains were finally cremated. It wasn’t until four months later that her husband, Jeffery, discovered what had occurred with his wife’s remains. Naturally, Jeffery filed lawsuits against both Professional Transport Systems and Lynn University, as well as the funeral home involved. Eventually, the latter two settled the matter out of court. It is believed that over 600 other families from economically disadvantaged backgrounds may have had their loved ones 'rented' by the university as well.
3. Pope Pius XII
The passing of Pope Pius XII in 1958 was overshadowed by a disturbing and disrespectful public handling of his death. An unethical doctor betrayed the Pope by allowing images of his painful final moments on his deathbed to be released, which were featured on the front page of Italian newspapers. The situation deteriorated further after a failed embalming process led to noticeable decay, with reports claiming that his body had turned 'emerald green.'
As days went by and decomposition intensified, the pontiff’s nose detached. At one point, a Swiss Guard, assigned to stand vigilant, collapsed from the unbearable stench that emanated from the decaying body. Thankfully, this unfortunate fate was not shared by Pope John XXIII, whose passing in 1963 was handled with greater reverence.
2. Justice Finally Served
The extent to which a corpse is embalmed determines the length of preservation. For example, reinforced embalming can produce much longer-lasting results than conventional embalming. African-American civil rights activist Medgar Evers’s body was so thoroughly embalmed that it was still possible to perform an autopsy three decades after his murder.
Evers’s body was exhumed from Arlington National Cemetery in 1991, after prosecutors in Mississippi reopened the investigation amid charges that a key piece of evidence was tampered with. The prosecutors believed that this evidence would bring a conviction for Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist who was tried twice in 1964. Both trials had all-white, male juries, which ended up deadlocked.
After the prosecution team spent four years building a case, Beckwith was convicted and given a life sentence in 1994, 31 years after Evers’s murder. Beckwith died in prison at the age of 80 in 2001.
1. Don’t Drink the Water
Research has shown that formaldehyde can have carcinogenic effects, making embalmers more prone to cancer, heart disease, and pneumonia. Despite efforts to reduce toxic exposure in the profession, residents near Civil War-era cemeteries—or any cemeteries from the 1800s or early 1900s—must face the unfortunate possibility that their water supply could be contaminated.
Before the 20th century, embalming fluids typically included arsenic, a toxic substance that does not break down. In 2002, Iowa City was discovered to have arsenic levels in its water that were three times higher than the federal limit. Researchers believe that toxins may be leaking from graves into the soil, from where they are carried into the water supply through rain and flooding. Consuming this water can lead to serious health issues, including skin, lung, liver, and bladder cancer.
