It is no debate, we are getting larger and fatter. Yet what does this actually mean? As in how are our attitudes and views changing and how is it affecting our lives? To answer this I look to funeral and the funeral industry. The funeral industry is a wonderful way to look at society. To look at us, our attitudes, beliefs, how we go about our daily lives and so on. This is because quite simply the way we live is the way we die, the two are directly connected.
This is why I decided to do a few detailed posts on obesity in the funeral industry as I experienced it and understand it. Through looking at how obesity affects the funeral industry we can understand how it affects our lives. My first post was on the transfer of obese bodies. This post is on how we deal with and process the obese body. What happens in the mortuary to the body and the coffin of obese bodies.
Showing posts with label embalm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label embalm. Show all posts
2012-03-02
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 2
This is the second post of misconceptions and questions I have found about the funeral industry.
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 1
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 3
Complete List of misconceptions & questions
- Has anyone ever been buried / cremated alive or woken up in a mortuary?
I do not know for sure, but I doubt it. The body is kept in a fridge which is between 3-5C. Too cold for anyone to survive long, especially on a metal or plastic tray and without clothes. So even if someone did go into a mortuary alive (which I doubt would happen) they would never wake up.
- What is rigor mortise and can you get rid of it?
Rigor mortise is basically a stiffening of the limbs. The joints become difficult to bend, this does not happen with all bodies, in fact it does not even happen in most. The way it is gotten rid of is through a process called "breaking the rigor mortise". Basically you bend the limbs back and forward a few times and the joints will losen up. This 'breaks' the stiffness and the body is back to normal.
- Is everybody embalmed?
No, in fact very few people are embalmed in Australia (unlike America or New Zealand where it is basically mandatory). Generally it is only done if needed for interstate or international transfers or if the body is going into a vault. There are several types of embalming ranging from ‘TP’ which is a temporary embalm used for preservation on long distance transfers. Then there is the ‘full embalm’ which can preserve a body indefinitely. Used mainly for those wishing to go in a vault or other special circumstances this is the real embalming dating back at least as far as the Egyptians.
- How long does it take to embalm a body?
There are several types of ‘embalming’ from the temporary ones to transfer them interstate or internationally to the full embalm to preserve the body for a long time. It will usually take about three hours to fully embalm a person.
- Does it smell in the mortuary and / or do you smell after working in there?
Sometimes, it depends. As with cooking, it sometimes smells, other times it does not, it depends on what you are doing. Some bodies smell, either they have "leaked" out an end or they have decomposed or they just smell. Other times it is due to the chemicals used by the embalmer. It is also the chemical smell which can cling to clothing, not the smell of the body.
- How do you keep bodies?
All mortuary fridges are kept between 3 and 5 degrees celsius. Any colder and they begin to freeze which damages the body and makes it hard to work with. Any warmer and there will be obvious side effects (like rotting). I, and others, have noticed that certain fungi will grow on bodies kept in the fridge for long periods. It is either orange or white and not found anywhere else. Not even on similar bodies if they are out of the fridge for a long time, nor on the fridge itself. This fungi is just something that can only grow on a body when it is kept in a fridge.
- Do you 'reconstruct' the body?
Rarely will we do much more than put on clothes and suture the mouth shut or brush their hair. Funeral homes in Australia avoid delving into makeup and other methods to make the body look life like. This is because it is just so difficult to get right. The person may have worn a lot of makeup, or very little, we do not know. And going by a photo is difficult because colours are not always accurate. Hair styling is something they also shy away from. Getting it 'just right' or at least 'good enough' for families is so difficult. Undertakers are not hairdressers, they are not makeup artists, they are just workers ferrying the dead about. I have never seen a funeral home employ a hairdresser or makeup specialist, nor have I even hear of it.
- Have you seen 'Six Feet Under'?
This is perhaps the most known TV show about a funeral home. And it is a great show, well written, interesting rounded characters, etc. But it is not accurate of an Australian funeral home. For one we do not embalm many bodies (although it is becoming more common), we very rarely put makeup or anything similar on a body (even if it is for viewing) and we always wear gloves when handeling the deceased or even in the mortuary. On the show they have a lot more focus on 'fixing' the appearance of the deceased. Using special tools and chemicals to make them look like they are sleeping. In Australia we tend to just suture the mouth shut, put some eye-caps under the eyelids and nothing much else. ALso on that show they never wear gloves much. Here we must always put on gloves before we even enter the mortuary.
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2012-02-12
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 1
Despite being in this industry for a little under a year I have encountered many misconceptions, strange questions and surprises from people. They range from the amusing to the absurd or even insulting. So here is a little list of the stuff I have encountered.
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 2
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 3
Complete List of misconceptions & questions
- What is a transfer vehicle?
The transfer vehicle is the car used to 'transfer' (pickup and transport) a body. This involves collecting the body from the hospital, from a nursing home, from the scene of an accident, from a personal residence/house, taking the body interstate and so on. The transfer vehicle is basically white van, often a Toyota Hicace.
Pictures of inside a transfer van
Explanation of the transfer
- The undertaker buries / cremates the body
No, never. The undertaker is a very different person to those who burry or cremate the body. The people who burry the body are called "gravediggers" (or 'diggers' for short) and are more handymen or gardeners. They also maintain the cemetery. Those who cremate the body are crematorium staff and are similar to the diggers in that they are more handymen. The undertaker deals with the families and the bodies, but does not "commit" the bodies.
- How long does it take a body to burn?
Most people take an average of three hours but it can vary wildly depending on size. I have heard of how it took about 36 hours to cremate a woman who was just over 300kg. She only just fit into the crematory.
- What is ash like after someone is cremated?
Human ash is not like 'ash' as many expect. It is not a fine powder but rather a sandy mixture. It is grainy and rough. This is because bone does not completely burn down. So the lumps of bones left in the retort (cremator) are ground down in a special machine.
- Do you break peoples legs to fit them into the coffin?
No, never. This is simply ridiculous and so funny to me. It would take a LOT of work and effort to break or remove someones legs. It is not worth it, the undertaker would just get a bigger coffin. Or they can bend the legs, legs do bend quite easily. Think of when you sit and when you stand, your legs bend, and without any breaking!
- Do the gravediggers / crematorium staff steal belongings?
No, they do not have the equipment desired to hopen or handle an open coffin. They do not have gloves or training to do it. Many diggers or crem staff have never seen a dead body. But even if they did have the tools they never have the time. Both diggers and crem staff work constantly , they would not have time to go breaking into random coffins on the off chance of finding something valuable.
~~
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 2
Misconceptions & Questions - Part 3
Complete List of misconceptions & questions
- What is a transfer vehicle?
The transfer vehicle is the car used to 'transfer' (pickup and transport) a body. This involves collecting the body from the hospital, from a nursing home, from the scene of an accident, from a personal residence/house, taking the body interstate and so on. The transfer vehicle is basically white van, often a Toyota Hicace.
Pictures of inside a transfer van
Explanation of the transfer
- The undertaker buries / cremates the body
No, never. The undertaker is a very different person to those who burry or cremate the body. The people who burry the body are called "gravediggers" (or 'diggers' for short) and are more handymen or gardeners. They also maintain the cemetery. Those who cremate the body are crematorium staff and are similar to the diggers in that they are more handymen. The undertaker deals with the families and the bodies, but does not "commit" the bodies.
- How long does it take a body to burn?
Most people take an average of three hours but it can vary wildly depending on size. I have heard of how it took about 36 hours to cremate a woman who was just over 300kg. She only just fit into the crematory.
- What is ash like after someone is cremated?
Human ash is not like 'ash' as many expect. It is not a fine powder but rather a sandy mixture. It is grainy and rough. This is because bone does not completely burn down. So the lumps of bones left in the retort (cremator) are ground down in a special machine.
- Do you break peoples legs to fit them into the coffin?
No, never. This is simply ridiculous and so funny to me. It would take a LOT of work and effort to break or remove someones legs. It is not worth it, the undertaker would just get a bigger coffin. Or they can bend the legs, legs do bend quite easily. Think of when you sit and when you stand, your legs bend, and without any breaking!
- Do the gravediggers / crematorium staff steal belongings?
No, they do not have the equipment desired to hopen or handle an open coffin. They do not have gloves or training to do it. Many diggers or crem staff have never seen a dead body. But even if they did have the tools they never have the time. Both diggers and crem staff work constantly , they would not have time to go breaking into random coffins on the off chance of finding something valuable.
~~
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