Clinical Summary Report: Embalming Work at Greater Jackson Mortuary

At some point in our lives, we all come to realize that death is a part of life. Cultural diversity provides a wide variety of lifestyles and traditions for each of the unique groups of people in our world. Within these different cultures, the rituals associated with death and burial can also be uniquely diverse. Many consider ritualistic traditions that differ from their own to be somewhat strange and often perceive them as unnatural. A prime example would be the burial rituals of the Native American people.

After reading, The Embalming of Mr. Jones by Jessica Mitford, I was in shock about the whole process that happens hour after death. Previously, when I heard about embalming I thought they basically just cleaned the body up and dressed them up for the casket showing, but now that I know what actually happens I’m a little grossed out. The body shouldn’t be changed so much because you want to see them as you last remember not reconstructed due to the embalming. While the bodies are deceased, I can't help but wonder if they are feeling all of this happening. I feel bad for Mr. Jones and others who have been through the process. I can’t even imagine what it is like for the embalmer, and how they can go through with it.

The body is now ready for casketing. Like in any business, there are some special secrets to casketing. According to Mitford, the right shoulder of the body has to be “depressed slightly to turn the body a bit to the right and soften the appearance of lying flat on the back.” Positioning the hands and feet is as important as everything that was done before. There are special rubber blocks that are used for this purpose. Finally, the body is placed in the casket as high as possible, and the mortician gives attention to the last details.

You’ve probably heard the old saying. “Only two things in life are certain: death and taxes” It’s true: at some point, we all will die. Although you may think death is an unpleasant subject, it is something that everybody must cope with. People are different all over the world, but death is one thing that everyone has in common. ( Stair, choosing a career in mortuary science and the funeral industry 6)

secure access to a major artery or vein. "The object in embalming is to pump

Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain, by Jessica Mitford, was very informative about a subject that isn’t talked about much as it may cause offense. The author’s purpose was to share many of the common practices of the funeral industry. She described in detail how the procedure works, discussed the practice of embalming, and the secrecy behind it. The author also uses a sarcastic tone throughout the article. Her tone seems to show that she finds the entire procedure of making a dead person beautiful again then letting the family view them, rather absurd. She also used some dark humor to make fun of the practice of embalming. She brings to light what happens behind the curtains to the deceased and makes it seems controversial.

The tone of Mitford’s essay “Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain” reflects her disapproval of the embalming process. To illustrate, she uses harrowing words like “subjected” and “gruesomeness” to convey a message of disgust and unease within the readers. It is good she wrote her essay in a simple and satiric way, so that it is very easy for the common man to read and comprehend it, while the comedy and horrible detail leaves the terrible imagery of the embalming procedures in one’s mind long after reading. Texts like this one, and ones similar to it are very important as society evolves. It would seem that many people would read this and it would greatly influence whether they would want their family members embalmed or even what they would desire

After assessing the victim?s airway, now you should check for breathing. To check for breathing, place your ear over the mouth looking toward the chest. This will allow you to listen for air movement, feel for air movement on your cheek, and look for chest rise. If the victim is breathing adequately, you should roll him or her on their left side. By doing so this puts them in the recovery position and permits him or her to breathe adequately. This also prevents aspiration if the victim vomits. If the victim is not breathing, give two breathes, watching for chest rise. Give breathes over a second, wait a second, then give another breathe. While doing so, you should not hyperventilate the victim.

After reading Stiff, it was surprising to discover that there are so many different ways that cadavers can be used. For example, cadavers are used to see the different stages of decomposition, as test dummies, as compost, and as art. Until I read this book, I thought that you were simply buried or cremated when you die. Further, I

The history of ceremonies for care of the dead goes back as far as 60,000 BC when the Neanderthals used flowers and animal antlers to decorate the dead. Embalming originated in 4000 BC with the Egyptians but was uncommon there until 3400 BC. Embalming was first introduced in to the US by Dr. Thomas Holmes (1817-1900)

No one can escape death. It’s one of so few unavoidable certainties in our lives and has held an important position in every human culture since time immemorial. Of course, this position has is different from culture to culture, and shifts over time. This is particularly evident in western culture. The shift is discussed at length in two essays: “Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain” by Jessica Mitford, and ‘The Fear of Dying’ by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Both explore different aspects of these themes – Mitford’s essay being deconstruction of a the uniquely North American process of embalming, and Kübler-Ross’ being an indictment of the clinical depersonalization of contemporary western attitudes toward death. Each utilize many different tools as writers, such as rhetorical modes. Rhetorical modes they share are exemplification, description, and compare-and-contrast.

(Lamers 535). You would be required to fill in any open wounds left on the body

Embalmers have a long list of daily tasks, along with very precise legal guidelines as to how to handle the deceased. These tasks include: washing and disinfecting bodies to prevent deterioration and infection, removing fluids and gasses from the body and injecting it with chemicals to preserve it, washing and arranging hair and cosmetics, and using plaster of Paris of wax to restore the appearance of the bodies after injury. The typical hours and days embalmers are required to work in a weekly schedule are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., though they are not limited to this schedule. some embalmers are required to be on-call, or may cover weekends. This career may be found in any city, as death occurs in all environments. In fact, even our own little Webster County has two funeral homes of it’s own. This work would be performed indoors, in special laboratories, due to the special equipment required to perform the daily tasks of an

Open Casket: If you are planning an open casket funeral, generally the casket will be set up by the funeral home staff before the funeral and viewing starts.

C. If the casualty is breathing, place gently into the RECOVERY POSITION and call 999 for an ambulance. Regularly check and monitor signs of life and manage injuries and shock while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.