Embalming

Francisco A Morales Professor Nunez English 101

Summary of "The Embalming of Mr. Jones"

Jessica Mitford (writer) is describing a procedure and the steps of embalming a corpse in the essay "The Embalming of Mr. Jones," (1963). She writes that people pay significant amount of money each year, but "not one in ten thousand has any idea of what actually takes place''(1), and it is extremely hard to find books and any information about this subject. She assumes that there must be a reason for such secrecy, and maybe if people knew more about this procedure, they would not want this service after their death. Mitford writes that embalming has long tradition in America, but it used to be performed at home, and all members of the family had to witness the procedure. Now, this procedure is taken care of by professional morticians, who studied their profession for nine or twelve months after high school in an embalming school.

The embalming process includes the use of speciali...

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They call themselves "demi-surgeons." After death, the body is taken to a morgue and reposed in the preparation room. This room looks like a surgery room. It is tiled, sterile and packed with surgical instruments: scalpels, scissors, augers, forceps, clamps, needles, pumps, tubes, bowls, and a basin. It is also full of different chemicals, sprays, and special cosmetics, such as pastels, oils, powders, and creams that help to soften or dry human tissue and mask any imperfection. There is even plaster to cast and replace any part of the body. There are devices that help to reposition shoulders, head, arms, hands, and feet. The first part of embalming is removing all blood and fluids. This process does not take too long in the hands of a professional. She/he makes tiny incisions of the veins to remove all blood and replaces it...