Anatomy and Embalming / A Treatise on the Science and Art of Embalming, the Latest and Most Successful Methods of Treatment and the General Anatomy Relating to this Subject

by Albert John Nunnamaker; Charles Otto Dhonau

Desiccation.

—This is a brownish color caused by the drying of the skin. Various conditions might cause this color of which a few are considered here:

Natural evaporation, the drying action of formaldehyde, freezing the skin, feverish conditions of the body before death, absence of a normal amount of moisture in the skin of the dead body.

Natural Evaporation.—The passage of moisture from the skin into a dry atmosphere reduces the normal amount of moisture in the skin, thereby producing an altered color. The extent of the moisture reduction governs the color produced. When evaporation begins, the skin loses its softness and becomes slightly yellow in color. As evaporation continues the skin becomes more hard and the color changes from yellow to brown. At this time nothing can be done to restore the original color as in the absence of the blood circulation, the pigment of the skin will not take up moisture, nor will moisture penetrate the skin itself.

Treatment.—The only treatment for a condition of this kind is necessarily a preventive one. While embalming a body, the operator should apply either water or one of the commercial face solutions to the skin of all the exposed portions of the body. If the condition within the skin is one in which there is a predisposition toward dryness, the face solution or the water by being present on the skin will reduce evaporation from the skin itself; in this way maintaining the natural degree of moisture. Should a hard, dry spot appear in the absence of any preventive treatment, the operator can only coat the spot with grease paint and thereby hide it.

The Drying Action of Formaldehyde.—Formaldehyde is derived from methyl spirits, which in itself has an active affinity for water. The amount of water ordinarily mixed in formalin in the compounding of a formaldehyde fluid is not sufficient to satisfy the appetite of the formaldehyde for more water. When a formaldehyde fluid comes in contact with moisture laden skin, there will be a movement of moisture from the skin toward the formaldehyde fluid, thereby reducing the degree of moisture in the skin and in that way causing it to become dry. When the skin becomes dry, it changes in color the same as in natural evaporation.

Treatment.—There are three conditions in the skin met by the operator. The first is where there is a predisposition toward dryness and this is where the skin does not contain a normal amount of moisture to begin with. In old age cases, tubercular, and anemic bodies, the ordinary embalming fluid should be diluted at least one half for the first part of the injection, thus reducing the appetite for moisture on the part of the fluid. In addition to this, water or a face solution should be used externally to prevent outward evaporation from further reducing the moisture in the skin. The fluid exhibits a tendency to draw water into the pores, thus maintaining to a large degree, the normal moisture percentage.

The second condition met with is one in which the skin contains a normal amount of moisture. In this case it would not be necessary to reduce the strength of the standard fluid at any time during the injection, but it is necessary to apply water or a face solution externally to limit outward evaporation and to provide a source whereby moisture could be drawn into the pores by the appetite of the formaldehyde, thus again maintaining the normal percentage of moisture in the skin.

The third condition is one in which the skin along with the balance of the body, will contain more than a normal percentage of moisture. This condition may be looked for in edematous or dropsical cases. The injection in these cases should be normal in strength unless the dropsy is very pronounced, when an overnormal injection can be given without reducing the moisture percentage in the skin below the normal point.

Should the above precautions not be used and the skin be dried through the appetite of formaldehyde for water, no treatment can be given which will restore the moisture to the skin. When moisture is drawn from the skin and the percentage is below normal, the skin will shrink and will draw tight against the bones and subcutaneous tissue. This frequently gives rise to the sharp nose and to the drawn appearance so common in those cases. Prevention is the only remedy.