Module 3 Flashcards
Explain the difference between coffins, caskets, and burial cases:
They all refer to types of burial receptacles, coffin is the traditional term used by the English undertaker burial case is used as a generic term for all burial receptacles, casket is a type of burial receptacle that is a more modern rectangular form.
What materials were used to manufacture coffins? Who made them?
Carpenters and cabin makers made early American coffins of wood. Although the more expensive coffins were made of hardwood, polished, and stained, while the less expensive coffins were made of pine painted with a mixture of lampblack and glue water. later they used metals
What materials were used to manufacture burial cases? Who made them?
The first burial case was the Fisk metallic burial case it was made of cast or raised metal these cases reduced the weight of earlier metallic coffins and reduced the air space Almond D. Fisk held the patent to this
What materials were used to manufacture caskets? Who made them?
Metallic caskets were made of cast metal and sheet metal William Cooley of Crane Breed and Co. was the first to sale these caskets
Explain the change from “Gloomy to beauty”, and from “the Pragmatic to the Aesthetic”:
Before 1850 there was an apparent emerging impulse to encase the body in a receptacle whose primary claim to public acceptability lay in the fact that it was beautiful and thus suitable for use in funerals. The change from the pragmatic to the aesthetic can be seen in the development of the metallic burial case. then the new bronzed case with ornaments representing drapery, flowers and other emblems
Describe the Fisk Metallic Burial case: What claims did the manufacturer make?
The case was made of cast or raised metal and had a glass plate permitting the face to be visible. they reduced the weight of earlier metallic coffins and reduced air space due to its cast form of a human. and the manufacturer claimed to have created a new and useful manner of constructing an air tight coffin of cast or raised metal with the least possible quantity of metal
Mass producing the metallic coffin brought with it what claims by the makers?
They claimed the bodies of the dead have been preserved in metallic burial cases for months
What was the change of the “ogee design”?
Its rounded somewhat elliptical shape decreased wasted space and lightened the casket and a system of overlapping ribs was used
What were the construction methods and materials for cloth-covered caskets?
lyons velvet and presumed very costly, french plate glass was used atop and the handles, molding and hinges were all made of silver the inside of the casket boasted white satin silk venetian lace and heavy silken tassels
Describe the “Style E State casket”:
It was covered with the finest black broadcloth had heavy silver metal mountings a flat top full french plate glass and an inner metallic case especially finished on the interior with the presidents initials on the pillow
What were ‘life signals’ and why were they used?
Life signals were bizarre complex systems designed to allow people who were placed in caskets but who were not dead to signify that they were indeed alive by movement of a part of their body life signals prevented people getting buried alive
Give some examples of ‘life signaling caskets/coffins’:
The first patented by Christian Eisenbrandt, his invention had an arrangement of wires and pins and a spring lid to enable the occupant of the coffin by the slightest movement of hand or head to cause it to come right open. another one is Franz Vester of Newark his consisted of a square tube containing a ladder and a cord one end of which would be place in the persons hand in the coffin which the other end was hook to the bell
What were the materials and construction methods of burial vaults and outside boxes:
Early predecessors of burial vault were made of brick, stone, rock, or concrete slabs sealed together. slate was also used for a grave liner, metal burial case was made of wrought metal plates riveted together like boiler plates wooden outside boxes they were use more often as a outer container
When were concrete burial vaults first manufactured? Metal vaults?
Concrete burial vaults were origin after 1900 and metal vaults were originated in 1879
Explain embalming procedures in America up until the Civil War:
It was virtually non-existent in America until shortly before the civil war in England and France it had been practice but in America it had harldy been used. Procedures were mostly refrigeration, encasement in airtight burial containers or sanitizing temporarily
How and when were sawdust and tar utilized in embalming?
The use of saw dust and tar dates to the late very late 1600s and early 1700s. they were used to describe the way and manner in which embalming was practiced by undertakers
What was a ‘corpse cooler’?
It was a device for preserving the dead by means of refrigeration. it was a common cooling board which the body was laid out and concave
What was a ‘cooling board’?
It was a board on which the dead human body was placed as part of the process of a using a corpse cooler.
How was ice used to preserve the dead?
By lowering the temp. of the body putrefaction was slowed down and the body was preserved for a period of time.
Up until the Civil War in America, name 3 developments that greatly influenced the beginning of embalming:
The first was the change in the disposition of people to keep the body on display longer, thus proving impetus to find a better means of preservation than ice-cooling. Second, the spread of diseases such as smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, yellow fever, and other diseases provided the impetus for the medical community to find better means of sanitation. the third development lies in the translation of gannels history of embalming into English by Richard Harlan and the development of production of embalming fluid made by chemists physicians and anatomists.
How was the hand pump used in embalming?
The hand pump was used to force embalming fluid into the body.
How was gravity used in injecting arterial chemical for embalming?
The force of gravity was used to inject the fluid into the body. (one-half pound of pressure per every foot that the container is raised above the body.)
