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embalming

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2008 | Copyright

embalming , practice of preserving the body after death by artificial means. The custom was prevalent among many ancient peoples and still survives in many cultures. It was highly developed in dynastic Egypt, where it was used for some 30 cent. Although the embalming methods of the Egyptians varied according to the wealth and rank of the deceased, bodies were usually immersed for several weeks in a soda solution after the body cavities had been filled with resins and spices. Viscera were sometimes embalmed separately and either replaced in the body or preserved in canopic jars. Traditional embalming methods were largely abandoned with the spread of Christianity, but preservation of bodies continued in Egypt for several centuries. The corpse was no longer eviscerated but was packed in salts and spices and then wrapped in linen sheets. Modern methods originated in the 17th cent. in attempts to preserve anatomical specimens. Although practiced in Europe, the custom of routinely embalming corpses before burial is most widespread in North America. Formaldehyde, the essential element in embalming fluids today, is injected into the vascular system as the blood is drained out. In some cases embalming fluid is also pumped into the body cavities. See funeral customs ; mummy .

Bibliography: See C. G. Strub and L. G. Frederick, Principles and Practice of Embalming (4th ed. 1967).

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embalm

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

em·balm / emˈbä(l)m/ • v. [tr.] [often as n.] (embalming) preserve (a corpse) from decay, originally with spices and now usually by arterial injection of a preservative: the Egyptian method of embalming. ∎ fig. preserve (someone or something) in an unaltered state: the band was all about revitalizing pop greats and embalming their legacy. DERIVATIVES: em·balm·er n.

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"embalm." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-embalm.html

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embalming

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | Copyright

embalming (im-bahm-ing) n. the preservation of a dead body by the introduction of chemical compounds that delay putrefaction.

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embalm

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

embalm impregnate (a corpse) with spices. XIII. ME. embaume — (O)F. embaumer, f. EM-1 + baume BALM.

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T. F. HOAD. "embalm." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "embalm." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-embalm.html

T. F. HOAD. "embalm." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-embalm.html

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embalm

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

embalm •alarm, arm, Bairam, balm, barm, becalm, calm, charm, embalm, farm, forearm, Guam, harm, imam, ma'am, malm, Montcalm, Notre-Dame, palm, psalm, qualm, salaam, smarm •yardarm • sidearm • gendarme •wind farm • Islam • schoolmarm •tonearm • napalm • firearm •underarm • short-arm

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	The father of modern embalming; Surgeon preserved dead to allow transport... Newspaper article from: The Washington Times (Washington, DC); 4/2/2009
	Drinking grandma: the problem of embalming.(SPECIAL REPORT) Magazine article from: Journal of Environmental Health; 12/1/2008
	People getting high on `wet sticks'; Smoking materials dipped in embalming... Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 2/18/2000