Treatment.—Disinfect the oral and nasal cavities with the embalming fluid. Wash the body externally with 1 : 500 solution of bichloride of mercury. Inject an amount of fluid equaling 10% of the body weight into the arteries, and give cavity injection. Drain blood and inject additional fluid to make up for that which will be lost in drainage. In young persons the strength of the fluid for the first 64 ounces of the injection should be cut to half of the normal strength. Close all openings of the body with absorbent cotton. Dress the body and then place it in the casket, drawing the glass slide and closing it, after which, it should not be re-opened. Abide by the regulations of your district concerning the amount of time to elapse between the time of death and of burial in these cases. For transportation govern yourself according to the provisions of your district rules.
Tuberculosis.
—Definition.—An infectious, slightly contagious disease, characterized by the formation of small nodules, tubercles, varying from the size of a millet-seed to that of a mustard-seed or even larger.
Cause.—Tubercle bacillus of Koch.
Pathology.—Any organ of the body may be the seat of the disease. In the adult the lungs are the most frequently affected, while in children the lymph glands, joints, and intestines are favorable seats for the disease. Probably the only form that will give the embalmer any trouble is tuberculosis of the lungs. Here either from the poison, developed by the bacilli, or from some other source, necrosis of the cells occurs, forming a cheesy condition known as caseation. At a later period this breaks down, forming an abscess, the cavity being filled with a purulent material. At other times there is a calcareous deposit, and the tubercular mass is said to undergo calcification.
Treatment.—In pulmonary tuberculosis, give the body a complete arterial injection using half strength fluid for the first part of the injection, followed by three-fourths strength for the latter part. Hohenschuh prefers to drain blood from all cases; the authors prefer to drain blood in tuberculosis, only when it is necessary as a means of preventing discolorations, and that would be in case the blood vessels contained much blood. Massage the face carefully with one of the commercial solutions, or, with water which of course has no bleaching action. For transportation, govern yourself according to the provisions of the transportation rules.
Typhoid Fever.
—Synonyms.—Typhus abdominalis; Typhus nervosus; Ileo-typhus and Autumnal fever, are the most common terms, although Murchison's list includes forty others.
Definition.—An acute, infectious and slightly contagious disease, derived from a specific cause and characterized by inflammation and generally sloughing of Peyer's glands, swelling of the mesentery, engorgement of the spleen and a rose colored eruption.
Cause.—A specific germ called the bacillus of Eberth or the bacillus typhosus.