History of Embalming

Melt, and mix the whole with two pounds of mutton suet, and plunge the linen in it as before.

3. —Another.

Melt, and soak as before.

4. —Another.

Mix it with a sufficient quantity of oil to make a cerate.

1. —Mixture for soaking the linens, the chemise, the coiffure, and the bandages.

Melt the wax and the gum, add the balsam, and then the powdered aromatics for use.

2. —Another.

3. —Another.

The following are some formulæ of liniment, or fluid balsam, proper to rub the corpse both internally and externally.

1. —Liniment

Dissolve two ounces of true balsam into two pints of spirit of wine.

2. —Another Liniment.

3. —Another.

4. —Another Liniment.

5. —Another.

6. —Another.

The embalmer ought to furnish himself with silk ribands, of a black, violet, or white colour, according to the subject which he has to embalm, in order to tie the sheet by the two extremities, as well as a quarter of taffeta of one of the said colours to envelope the box containing the heart; further, five fathoms of cord to tie the corpse enveloped in cere-cloth. A coffin of lead in a coffin of wood. A barrel for the intestines. Bandages soaked in the liniment to bandage the body.

The following powder, as well as those which come after, are models which will serve according to the prudence of the embalmer for the cavities, for the parts sacrificed, and to form a crust around the body, or to be mixed with the adhesive plaster.

1. —Balsamic Powder.

Reduce to a powder those which ought to be powdered, and then strain them through a seive; but for the canella, and others of that class, they must be beaten and employed separately.

Baltazar Timaeus added salt and incense to his powder.

2. —Another Powder.

3. —Another.

Make a powder, and reserve the oil of spike for the unction.

4. —Another Powder.

Two measures of best spirits of wine to anoint and bathe all the cavities; after which, rub all the parts with turpentine, then stuff them with the following powder:

5. —Another Powder.

Powder and Mixture

Take a sufficient quantity of salt, and as much alum, to be mixed with myrrh, aloes, absynth, canella, cumin, cloves, mountain mint, pepper, and other aromatics; reduce to powder, sprinkling it with a little vinegar; then fill the body with it, rubbing with melted wax; then place the corpse in a leaden coffin. (Formula of P. Bellon.)

Penicher, who has furnished these different formulæ, will trace in the following pages the means of applying them.

There are many methods of embalming. The first, which is derived from the sacred scriptures, did not prevent the body from soon undergoing a change, since they neglected to remove the viscera, which cause corruption.

The second is that in which they confined their operations to emptying and cleaning the cavities which contain the intestines, the brain, and other noble parts, filling them afterwards with powdered aromatics, with tow and cotton.

The most common, and the most perfect which was practised, is the third; which consists in making incisions in all parts of the body, as we shall treat of further in the sequel.

We may add here a fourth mode, which regards only thin and fleshless bodies; it requires that the fat and flesh be removed, so that the skin and bones only remain. This method was not unknown to the Egyptians; and I have several times practised it, but the operation is laborious, and requires a skilful surgeon.

And finally, there is a last method of embalming the body, which is performed by making small openings in several parts of the body, under the armpits, the groins, and the anus, according to the ancient usage of the Egyptians. In order to commence this important operation, it is necessary, in the first place, that the surgeon who has the honour to be employed to embalm a king or some sovereign prince, under the orders of his first physician, in the presence of the crown officers, makes with a bistoury several gashes in the soles of the feet, in order to prove, by this operation, that the subject whose body he is about to open is really dead; which is a much more certain method than the unctions formerly used in similar cases, to recall the animal spirits, which they suspected of being only stupified. He will afterwards make a long incision, from the superior part of the sternum, to facilitate the examination of the contents of the chest, and to investigate the cause of disease and death, in order that a faithful written report may be made in concert with the physicians and surgeons of the king. All the parts contained in this cavity must be removed; he will afterwards descend to the lower belly and examine all their contents, which he will remove for that purpose, taking away every thing disposed to corruption. The parts which ought to be removed, are, among others, the throat, comprehending the trachea and œsophagus, the tongue, the eyes, the lungs, the heart, which will be divested of its pericardium, to be embalmed separately, as in ordinary cases; the stomach, the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, the intestines, the brain, the membranes, the fat, the blood, the serum, the sponges, and other matters which have served during the operation; put all these things in a barrel, to be carried to the place of destination. I know that some authors recommend the extirpation of the sexual organs of both sexes; but, besides that this would be to disfigure the body of a man, these parts may be preserved as well as others, and we owe respect to the instruments which have given us being. The surgeon having emptied these cavities, ought to work at the head, of which he will saw the cranium in the same manner as for anatomical demonstrations; and after he shall have examined and taken out the brain, the apothecary must carefully wash the cavity with aromatic wine and alcohol, and then fill it with the powder he will have prepared, and with cotton and tow soaked in some fluid balsam, in such a manner that there will be several layers of these stoupes and powder applied one above the other; after which replace the bones of the cranium and sew up the skin. He will then rub the head all over with one of the liquid balms, and bathe the face frequently with the same; envelope the head in a deep cap, which must be waxed; and after having insinuated into the nose, the mouth, the orbits of the eyes, and into the ears, cotton, soaked in liquid balm, the oils of nutmeg and cloves, he will labour at the abdomen, which must be washed in the same aromatic wine and alcohol, and rubbed with some of the aforesaid balms, and, finally, stuffed abundantly with powder and tow, until all these matters, distributed one above the other, will form the natural size and appearance of the abdomen, which must be sown up. The surgeon will take care that sections be made in the veins and arteries, in order to divest them of blood and humidity, which will be observed regarding the arms, thighs, legs, feet, heels, and other parts, as the back, shoulders, and buttocks, turning the corpse for this purpose, face towards the table; in these thick and fleshy places, the incisions must be long, deep, and numerous, penetrating even to the bone; and when the large vessels have been opened and purged of their blood, the pharmacien will fill all these spaces with the powder, and then sew them up with a needle and thread, after having sprinkled and bathed them in aromatic wine and alcohol; for it is necessary to take care and foment incessantly these parts; absorb from them, if possible, all humidity, and dry them with a sponge, previous to rubbing them with liquid balm, or one of the liniments, and fill them with the stoupes and said powders. Finally, the whole must be sowed up very neatly, so that the body may not be disfigured; for the same reason the face ought not to be incised, and we ought to endeavour so to preserve the features that they may be easily recognised, as I have recently witnessed on the opening of the coffin of a bishop, who was embalmed more than fifty years ago, and whose countenance was not in the least disfigured. For this reason, the artist will make use of fine powders, of aloes, myrrh, and others; as regards the body, he will rub and anoint it with the liniment which he will have prepared, adding thereto the powder, which he will make into a paste. And it is necessary to remark, that in proportion as he finishes the embalming of each part, the surgeon ought to bandage it with bandages of linen soaked in the liniment, so that they will resemble a species of corset, and in form of the letter x; let them make several convolutions one upon the other, to keep the parts of the body compact, and prevent the aromatics escaping from the cavities filled with them; these bandages should commence with the neck and finish with the feet and hands; they must be long and broad for the body, thighs, legs, and arms, but narrow and short for the fingers. This done, put on the chemise, washed as already recommended; ornament the subject with the exterior marks of dignity which were possessed during life time, and wrap it in a linen cloth soaked in liniment, which will serve as an adhesive plaster, which must be tied by the two extremities with a riband; above which, envelope it with the cere-cloth, which should be very closely bound with a cord. Finally, deposit the body in the coffin, the intervals of which must be filled with what remains of the powder, if there be any, or with parcels of dried aromatic herbs; close it and solder it with the utmost exactitude. Place on the outside a plate of copper, or some other durable metal, upon which has been engraved some appropriate inscription, to serve as a memento to posterity. The coffin must be placed in another of wood, which may be covered, if desirable, with a mortuary cloth.

This work being accomplished, we next come to the heart, which, as I have already stated, is separately embalmed. Supposing, then, that it has been removed from its place, divested of its pericardium, and both its ventricles opened, frequently washed with spirits of wine, and well cleaned of clotted blood, and of all other impurities that may be attached to it, and having allowed it to soak during the preceding operations in spirits of wine, or in distilled oil of turpentine, the apothecary now takes this viscera thus prepared; he fills the ventricles with powdered aloes, myrrh, benzoin, and styrax; he may even rub it with oil, or essence of nutmeg, cloves, and canella, as also with the tinctures of ambergris, musk, and civet; he will then arrange it in perfumed cotton, so as to make it contain the powders, which, with the oils, will form a paste, and he will place it in a little sack of cere-cloth, perfumed with some of the above named essences, with which also he will rub the box in which it is to be enclosed, both internally and externally, solder it carefully and envelope it in taffeta of a certain colour, which must be equally soaked and rubbed with essences or tinctures, and tied with ribands of the same colour; the violet colour is the most appropriate for ecclesiastics.

I remember having embalmed the heart of an Abbé of quality who had led an exemplary life: the odour which it exhaled was so sweet and agreeable, that it perfumed for several months the choir of the convent des Dames Religieuses, where it was deposited.

The body and the heart being thus embalmed, it only remains to speak of the viscera, the lungs, and the brain, &c.

Blancardus teaches us the method of embalming separately all these parts; but, for myself, I do not attempt it; when they are embalmed, and it is desired to place them in a barrel in this state, it is still requisite to have recourse to spirits of wine, of the best quality; our brandy and aromatic wines are not strong enough. In order the more easily to clean these viscera, they must be opened lengthwise, incisions must be made in the lungs, the spleen, the uterus, and the other contents of the cavities; cleaned of blood, serosity, and other foreign matter, which would cause them to putrefy in a little time; then washed with strong spirits of wine, having been previously washed in other liquors, and then arranged in a barrel, so that the powder first covers the bottom, placing a portion of the viscera on this first layer, and afterwards a second bed of powder; and continue thus to place the viscera and the powders alternatively, and by layers, until the barrel be nearly full, taking care that the last layer consists of this prepared powder, which must not be spared on this occasion. This barrel, which ought to be made of lead, should be placed in a second of wood, which must be accurately headed and pitched. (One wooden barrel only, was used for Henry III., King of France.)

Nevertheless, with all the precautions that could be taken to preserve these parts, in employing quantities of spirits of wine, aromatic powders, and other proper drugs, I have strong doubts that they would soon corrupt, and even before they could arrive at the place destined for their sepulture. Finally, when the body is to be publicly exposed on the bed where it died, the face should be washed with spirits of wine, and with true balm, refreshing it frequently; but when it is necessary to expose it on a bed of parade to remain several days, it is commonly sufficient to mould it in wax, and to show only its external figure, during the time that the body is upon the bed embalmed in a coffin. But, when the body itself of the deceased is exposed, it is necessary, in the first place, to paint and powder the hair or wig with a fine powder of pleasant odour; shave the beard, if there be any, fill the mouth with powder and cotton, to elevate and protrude the cheeks, to which may be applied a little rouge, as well as to the lips; if the natural eyes have been removed, replace them with artificial eyes; force perfumed cotton up the nostrils; the nose may be refreshed with a linen cloth liberally endued with true balm, during the time that the subject is withdrawn from public view; thus, the mouth, and generally all the parts that ought to be seen, will be in their natural state, to the end that they may be the more readily recognised. For this reason, there ought not to be made any scarifications, as it is expressly remarked in the library of Herodotus. “Each part,” says he, “is so perfectly preserved, that the hair of the eyebrows and eyelids, and even all the form of the body so well retain their appearance, that the figure and natural disposition is known with facility.”

But, for all other subjects, those which are to be transported, you will deviate as little as possible from the following prescriptions. After having emptied the cranium by means of a large trepan opening made in the back part of the head; having removed the viscera, the throat, the membranes; scarified the fleshy parts, and having purged them of blood and other serosities, the corpse should be placed in one of the lotions, or in one of the brines described in chapter fifth, the materials of which are to be chosen according to the place and season of the year; and, after some days of maceration, the subject being well drained, insinuate into the cavity of the cranium new melted wax; after which, replace the piece of cranium removed by the trephine; sew up the skin, and fill likewise the chest and abdomen with melted wax, and sew them up; afterwards fill the scarifications with such powders, aromatics, or herbs, as the country affords; bandage the body accurately with linen bandages, endued with one of the above mentioned liniments, or, in the absence of these, with turpentine, or with the tincture of myrrh and aloes, rubbing them on the body with coarse brushes; afterwards place the body (as was done with the bodies of Alexander and Agesilaus,) in a coffin filled with good honey, so that it may be surrounded on all sides, and penetrated within and without; and after having placed this well soldered coffin in another of wood, which must be well pitched, transport it to its place of destination. There it must be washed with spirits of wine before being exposed to the public.

A fairer specimen of embalming could not be chosen, than that which was made of Madame la Dauphine, by M. Riqueur, apothecary to the king and to this princess, assisted by his oldest son, apothecary to the king in survivorship. This embalming was executed with all the disinterestedness, ability, and prudence that could be desired, in the presence of M. D’Aquin, then first physician to the king; of M. Fagon, first physician to the late queen, and now first physician to the king; of M. Petit, first physician to Monseigneur le Dauphine; and M. Moreau, first physician to the late Madame la Dauphine; of M. Felix, first surgeon to the king; of M. Clèmint, master surgeon of Paris, and accoucheur of the said princess. M. Dionis, his first surgeon, operated, assisted by Baillet, ordinary surgeon, and by another ordinary surgeon: Madam, the Dutchesse d’Arpajon, lady of honour; Madame la Marechall de Rochefort, lady of the bed-chamber; and many other ladies. M. Riqueur had the kindness, knowing that I was interested in such operations, to communicate his method to me.

Description of the balm which was made for Madame la Dauphine.

“The heart, after having been emptied, washed with spirits of wine and dried, was placed in a glass vessel with this liquor; and this same organ, having been filled with a balm made of canella, cloves, myrrh, styrax, and benzoin, was put into a sack of cere-cloth of its own shape, which was again enclosed in a box of lead, cordiform, which was immediately soldered, to be presented to Madame la Duchesse d’Arpajon, who placed it in the hands of Monseigneur, the Bishop of Meaux, first almoner of the late Madame la Duchesse, who deposited it subsequently in the Val-de-Grace. The opening of the body was made most accurately by M. Dionis, her first surgeon. M. Riqueur filled all the cavities with stoupes and powdered balm. Incisions were made along the arms as far down as the hands; these were supplied with aromatic powder, after expressing all the blood and washing with spirits of wine; the same operation was repeated on the thighs, which were incised in different places down to the feet, and all was neatly sewed up. A coarse brush was used to rub the body with a hot liquid balm, made of turpentine, styrax, and the balsams of copaiba and Peru, as already prescribed. Each part was enveloped in bandages soaked in spirits of wine, placing as much as possible of the said aromatic powder between the body and the bandages. The body was dressed in a chemise and a religious tunic, and surrounded with other marks of a particular devotion, such as a little chain of iron, at the end of which was a cross, which the princess kept in a trunk which she had brought with her from Bavaria. The body was then enveloped in cere-cloth and compactly tied, in order to be placed in a leaden coffin; at the bottom and throughout which, there was four fingers depth of the said balm in powder. This coffin, being well soldered, was enclosed in another of wood, all the vacant spaces having been filled with dried aromatic herbs. The entrails, after being well prepared, were placed in a leaden coffin, with a great quantity of the same aromatic powders, which, being well soldered, was enclosed in a barrel of wood.”

We shall have occasion again to recur to this mode of preparation; observing only, that a subject thus mutilated, slashed, and stuffed, has more the resemblance of prepared meat than an embalmed body; that the sentiment which led to a recourse to embalming, ought to create a deep horror for the mutilation of a body which it was desirable to possess in all its integrity; that, in fine, the operation of embalming thus practised is more cruel for the feelings, than the natural destruction and dissolution of the parts.

CHAPTER VI.

ART OF EMBALMING IN OUR OWN DAYS, PREVIOUS TO MY DISCOVERIES

Organic chemistry has made great progress since the commencement of the present century, and the facts upon which it is constituted have been sufficiently known and accurately studied, to elevate it to the rank of an exact science. Numerous applications have been made, with immense advantage to the arts and sciences; but the great light it has shed in such numerous directions, has but feebly enlightened the art of embalming, and we will say, with M. Pelletan, that we cannot but be astonished to observe, that the same processes are continued in our day which were only predicated on the description of Herodotus upon points evidently defective, and that without any kind of discernment or analysis, in a manner entirely routine. No regard has been taken to the enormous difference which the dissimilitude of exterior conditions must establish between our practices and those of the Egyptians. It is, nevertheless, an art thus constituted, which will invoke the aid of three learned professions. It was, indeed, a grave subject of discussion to determine, whether the physician, the surgeon, or the apothecary, ought to take precedence in the honours of this operation. A conciliatory spirit once arose in one of these disputes; after long consideration and mature examination, it was concluded, that the three professions rendered such services in these circumstances, that they should march in a line, and that they ought, in consequence, to render each other aid and support in a common cause. Nevertheless, judging from the great incisions, perforations, the flesh hacked and stuffed with perfumes, the arbiter would have been justified in deciding that the hog-butcher possessed superior claims to any of his competitors for practising embalming. We shall be convinced, in reading the following notice, that the pretensions which we claim in favour of an honest artist, are neither ridiculous nor extravagant.

M. Boudet, charged with the embalming of the senators, gives us a faithful account of the method which he followed to preserve the magnates of the empire.

There was prepared for this operation: —

1. A powder composed of tan, decrepitated salt, quinquina, canella, and other astringent and aromatic substances, Jew’s pitch, benzoin, &c.; the whole mixed and reduced to a fine powder, and sprinkled with essential oils: the tan forms one-half the weight, the salt one-fourth.

2. Alcohol saturated with camphor.

3. Camphorated vinegar, with spirits of camphor.

4. A varnish, composed of the balsam of Peru, and balsam of copaiba, fluid styrax, oil of nutmeg, lavender, and thyme, &c.