Bereavement specialist Sharon Maher answers interesting questions about her experience in working with the dead. Some of the following content may be disturbing for some viewers.
1. In the mummification process, Egyptians pulled out the brain through the nostrils. Do embalmers remove the brain?
I do not remove the brain, however if a body is autopsied, it is likely the brain would be removed during that process for studying. When the removal of the brain has occurred, than the embalmer will have to pack the empty cavity before suturing the skull back together, otherwise it can settle strangely and will not have a natural look. There is also potential for fluids to leak out. Packing the cavity with cotton creates the “brain” and then we reconstruct the cranium by suture or by using skull clamps. We use cotton in the nose and throat as well in order to avoid purging.