After death about one-fourth of the blood of the body is found in the tiny capillaries and tissues, blood which by the ordinary methods used today the embalmer is unable to draw.
After death about one-fourth of the blood of the body is found in the azygos system, and points dependent in the body, which blood, too, it is impossible to draw.
This leaves about one-fourth of the blood of the body, which we are able to draw. One-fourth of 16 pints, is 4 pints which is the maximum we can draw from the average body.
The point of this argument is that if from the average body you have taken from two to four pints of pure undiluted blood, then you should be satisfied. If the majority of this blood has been taken from the face you will get the desired cosmetic effect. The claims by some that they are able to draw a gallon or more of blood is in our judgment erroneous, as we feel the blood has been greatly diluted. We have tested this out many times with the aid of control solutions and have found that what the embalmer would ordinarily call thin blood was composed of from 10 to 30% blood and from 70 to 90% fluid.
PART IV. TREATMENTS
Infectious Diseases