The new embalming fluids on the market today produce a shorter preservation window and cannot produce the effects that mainstream embalmers demand, but they may appeal to the green or natural funeral market if they meet the standards of green embalming. They will also appeal to those who protest the toxic fluids that pollute the environment. Change isn’t something that we like to focus on and to spend a lot of time thinking about, so it makes it difficult to switch when we know in reality that it would have the greatest effect on our environment and bodies. One last thought as we close on this topic is the fact that many families are concerned with the environment that we live in and what great peace it will leave them if they know their loved one was treated in a manner that would preserve the earth. This may not be your main concern, but think of the families that you serve and how it may have a lasting impact on them with this peace of mind. Also, think of yourself and how the chemicals put off the toxic fumes that we breathe in daily and how year after year you will be bringing them into your body. The proper PPE will reduce this risk; however, are you consistently wearing this protection every single time you embalm. Not that you will reduce your risk and eliminate the use of this protective equipment, but it’s going to protect you more in the long run. How long you want to be in this field and serve the families around you will determine how you protect yourself. When ordering more products for the preparation room, stop and think what you can do to eliminate the risk and support an eco-friendly environment that helps you feel safe in the long run. When you get these products in, hold a special training for all your staff so that they know the importance of using the products and how to effectively use them to still obtain the same results that you have in the past and to feel comfortable so they can use them with confidence. In the end it comes down to proper education and better understanding of what is being used and how it performs to create a better use for these safer options. After reviewing this section, I hope that you feel the inspiration to think beyond what you are used too. Consider what the family wants and how you will impact their lives by using products they would support and appreciate even though they won’t know what all goes into it. It’s that little step that can make all the difference between the work you do and the one down the road. Think of this and always keep the family in mind with each and every change that you would make in your establishment.
Next, the Champion Company created Enigma, with the active ingredient propylene glycol. This chemical is water- soluble, synthetic, nontoxic, and petroleum-based. The company claims it slows decomposition for 3 to 5 days, up to a week, or longer (Champion, 2016). These products do not produce long-term embalming results, just temporary preservation. To date, Champion products are the only ones certified by the Green Burial Council (GBC), which works to “inspire and advocate for environmentally sustainable, natural death care through education and product certification” (GBC, 2015). These products include: ● Enigma Arterial Green embalming chemicals can sanitize and deodorize while reducing water retention and moisture problems. These chemicals can also deliver natural skin tone coloration. ● Enigma Cavity Green embalming chemicals use a plant-based oil formula delivered with almost no water. It provides sanitation and deodorizing effects and can enhance the arterial action in compromised bodies. ● Other Enigma topical formulas are available for sanitizing and deodorizing the surface of the body and can be combined with plant-based Enigma compound materials to prevent leakage. Another chemical, glutaraldehyde, may be a possible alternative to formaldehyde because it produces fewer irritating vapors and is very effective for preservation. However, it is still classified as a hazardous, toxic chemical regulated by OSHA and has similar harmful effects as formaldehyde. It has not replaced the use of formaldehyde because it does not produce the same level of firmness. Firmness is one measure embalmers use to determine the amount of penetration by chemicals for use in arterial and cavity embalming. The degree of tissue firmness relates to the degree of tissue preservation, so this is an important factor. All the major embalming fluid producers are working to develop a green product that can match the preservation properties of traditional fluids. They may be able to disinfect and preserve to some degree but are not able to fix and produce tissue firmness. This is a major setback because it translates into difficulties in the area of restoration and setting of soft tissues that can result in drooping lips and cheeks. Facial features are the most important and viewable aspects of restorative art and are critical to the positive memory experience for loved ones.
RESTORATIVE ARTS: THE FOUNDATION TO IMPLEMENTATION
The next milestone in restoration arts occurred in 1912, when embalmer Joel E. Crandall introduced demisurgery, a practice he described as “the art of building or creating parts of the body which have been destroyed by accident, disease, decomposition or discoloration, and making the body perfectly natural and lifelike” (ibid.). Demisurgery was added to the practice of embalming as a way to make the appearance of the deceased more presentable, especially in trauma cases. Many people of that era felt that the practice of demisurgery in principle was unacceptable and should not be practiced after death. Crandall continued to make a case for the practice of demisurgery as an important service for bodies that had suffered severe trauma or mutilation. He provided photographic evidence to document the dramatic results of his work using before-and-after pictures. His photographs changed the attitudes of many in the funeral industry at that time, and demisurgery for the deceased became an accepted practice.
Many people suffer from diseases that have devastating effects on their physical appearance. Others are victims of physical trauma from car accidents, falls, violent encounters, drowning, dehydration, malnutrition, decomposition, or drug overdoses that leave them with an appearance in death far different than life. They are not able to make their wishes known, but one can imagine that they would not want their loved ones to see them in that state. The restorative arts play a critical role in the grieving and healing process for loved ones left behind and offer dignity to the deceased. Research shows restorative arts can be traced back as far as 1200 BCE (Gillies, 2011). The ancient Egyptians were practicing a range of restorative techniques on the emaciated features of the dead, from filling the inside of the mouths with sawdust to improve hollowed cheeks to stuffing linen under the eyelids or replacing eyes with stones. They would continue this procedure, tending to any disability, injury, or disfigurement until the face and body were contoured to approximate the original features and shape of the person they were preparing for their death ceremony.
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Book Code: FIL1225
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