when did embalming start in the united states
Embalming Embalming caught on in the United States during the American Civil War, as a result of sentimental issues involving foreign officials and servicemen dying far from home, and the need for their remains to be returned home for local burial. This period starting at about 1861 is known as the Funeral period of embalming and is marked by a separation of the fields of embalming by funeral directors and embalming (anatomical wetting) for medical and scientific purposes.[1] Dr. Thomas Holmes received a commission from the Army Medical Corps to embalm the corpses of dead Union officers to return to their families. Military authorities also permitted private embalmers to work in military-controlled areas. The passage of Abraham Lincoln's body home for burial was made possible by embalming, and it brought the possibilities and potential of embalming to a wider public notice.
Autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause and manner of death, to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present or research or educational purposes. It is usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a pathologist. In most cases, a medical examiner or coroner can determine cause of death and only a small portion of deaths require an autopsy.