This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von E301 A Mortician
Oct 20, 2020
Theo is joined by Frank Giles, a seasoned mortician with over 4,000 embalming experiences. They dive into the fascinating world of death care, discussing the emotional weight of handling the departed and the logistics of body preparation. Frank shares humorous anecdotes on embalming techniques and the quirks of cremation, while also tackling the delicate balance between personal grooming and mortality. The conversation takes a poignant turn as they explore how funeral practices reflect community and familial connections, all with a blend of humor and respect.
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Embalming a Living Person
- Embalming a living person would be painful because it involves wiring the mouth shut and injecting irritating fluids.
- The embalming fluid, containing formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde, would likely burn and could be fatal if injected into an artery.
Body Positioning
- Giles often finds deceased people's hands wherever they naturally fall.
- Sometimes nursing homes position bodies' hands a certain way before the mortician arrives.
Changing Death Practices
- People are less exposed to death and dying now than in the past, when morticians often embalmed bodies at home.
- A cooling board was used then, a simple table for the body, before funeral homes became common.