Embalming has been carried out in order to preserve the body of the dead since ancient times. It was the Egyptians who first started to do it. They did it mostly for religious reasons, believing that the body needs to be intact for the soul to return to it after death. There is some evidence to suggest that the Egyptians might have embalmed the dead in order to contain certain diseases, there by doing it in a fashion of a public health preventive measure.
The Egyptian method of embalming and preserving the body has known to have kept the bodies for thousands of years. Some of these bodies are largely intact mummies, buried in the historical pyramids of Egypt. The Egyptians are known to have mummified not only humans, but also some other animals such as cats and crocodiles.
Embalming was a long process for the ancient Egyptians. The process is done in stages and it takes several weeks to complete one body. Modern day embalming takes about four hours on average and if he body is an easy one, it will be completed even sooner. A body on which post mortem examination has been done takes longer time to complete.
While the process of embalming is widely heard of, there are people who are not aware of it or people who have never heard of it. Whether it is practiced or not in their countries, it is considered unacceptable in certain cultures. Some countries have embalming facilities available in many morgues and funeral homes for those who want it. Some other countries do not have it at all.
Modern embalming is not practiced for religious reasons. Modern embalming is done for preservation (temporary) and restoration of a more life-like appearance. Today the main technique of embalming remains the same with little variation in the way it is practiced in different countries. In general, all the internal fluid of the dead body including blood is removed and a preservative fluid is injected. Usually this fluid will contain a high concentration of formaldehyde in it. Formaldehyde acts as not only a preservative, but also as a disinfectant. The body surface will then be done to make it appear as natural as possible. After completing the procedure, the body will then be washed and dried.
The deceased will then be dressed, usually in pleasant clothing as this will be the last picture for the relatives and friends. Some even apply cosmetics and deodorizers to neutralize the smell of the embalming chemicals. The deceased will then be placed inside a casket and the last rites will be carried upon. Some families place some of the belongings of the deceased alongside the body in the casket.
Embalming does not preserve a body forever. However, if it is done well and with periodic retouching, a body can be preserved for a considerable amount of time. Egyptian mummies are proven examples of this. The method practiced and also the type of casket used plays an important role in preservation. Some types of caskets are not suitable for an embalmed body because of the containment of heat and moisture within it. There are instances where the casket has "exploded" due to the decomposition of the body and the gases released as a result.
The first leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (present day Russia) was better known by his alias, Lenin. Lenin's body is perhaps the most famous embalmed body of the present day. His embalmed body is on permanent public display in the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow. In fact, his body has been on constant public display since the year he died in 1924, except during the war times.
