ANATOMY AND EMBALMING

[v]

PREFACE

This book is the result of many years of contact withembalmers in training and in practice. We have includedin this work a crystallization of essential informationwithout which, the embalmer must be poorly equipped tocarry out the many duties incident to his calling in amanner satisfactory to his patrons and to himself.

Having been thrown in contact with the many problemssurrounding the education of the embalmer, theauthors have gained many ideas as to just how to placethe information before the embalmer so that the resultwill be reflected in an increased capacity for good workon the part of the individual embalmer.

In prescribing information for the embalmer in thismanner, we know clearly just what is to be expected fromthe application of the sciences herein described, and wishfor the novitiate and practitioner the same enthusiasm foractual knowledge that has helped us thus far in arrangingthe information.

In Part One, we have chronicled, from the word ofhistorians and men of the present day, a condensed, yetcomplete exposition of the funeral customs relating to the[vi]care of the dead, giving our readers a better understandingof present methods by reason of an opportunity tocompare them with those of the past.

In Part Two, we have placed the ground work orfoundation for the securing of the proper education inembalming. The work on Anatomy, which, if masteredby the student or practitioner, is by far the greatest leverin helping him to master his lifework.

In Part Three, we have placed the practical applicationof the principles of modern embalming, tempered by theuse of the sciences of pathology, bacteriology, and chemistryin our own application of the work and in its transcriptionto these pages.

In formulating the technical part of the work, we havebeen greatly assisted by many authorities among whomare:—Green, Howell, Thomas, Piersol, Gray, Spalteholz,Myers, Barnes, Renouard, Clarke, and those authors whohave from time to time contributed articles to the currentembalmers journals. We are deeply indebted to thesemen for the results of their work.

We have based the treatments given herein on thefollowing classification of embalming fluid as expressed inthe percentage strength of formaldehyde gas containedwithin the fluid.