Modern embalming

Embalming as practiced in the funeral homes of the Western World uses several steps. Modern embalming techniques are not the result of a single practitioner, but rather the accumulation of many decades, even centuries, of research, trial and error, and invention. A standardized version follows below but variation on techniques is very common.

The first thing an embalmer should do is verify the identity of the deceased (normally via wrist or leg tags) and perform basic tests for signs of death, such as clouded-over corneas, lividity, and rigor mortis. While people awakening on the mortuary table is largely the province of horror fiction and urban myth, testing for death is still a final additional precaution. Any clothing on the corpse is removed and set aside; jewelry, also, is inventoried. A modesty cloth is sometimes placed over the genitals. Following this the corpse is washed in disinfecting and germicidal solutions, shaved, and groomed. The embalmer bends, flexes and massages the arms and legs to relieve rigor mortis. The eyes are closed and kept closed with an eyecap that keeps them shut and in the proper expression. The mouth may be closed via suturing with a needle and ligature, using an adhesive, wire or a needle injector, a specialized device most commonly utilised in North America and unique to mortuary practice. Care is taken to make the expression look as relaxed and natural as possible and ideally a recent photograph of the deceased while still living is used as a template. The process of closing the mouth, eyes, shaving, etc is collectively known as setting the features.