Dr. Thomas Holmes was a mortician who is often thought of as the "father of American embalming". This article is about the vocation of a mortician and the death metal band; for the World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, see The Undertaker. ...

Childhood

He was born in New York City in 1817 to a wealthy merchant. During his childhood he became interested in the medical profession, and (although records from the time are vague and incomplete) is believed to have graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in 1845. His name appears variously in several New York City directories under listings as a Physician and Surgeon from 1847 onwards. Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Physician examining a child A physician is a person who practices medicine. ... Surgeon may refer to: a practitioner of surgery the moniker of British electronic music producer and DJ, Anthony Child; see Surgeon (musician) This is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Academics

While at university, Holmes had become concerned with methods of preservation used on cadavers for anatomical study. He complained that preservation was either improperly rendered, ineffectual, or not attempted at all. He also thought that the preservatives used at the time (arsenic, mercury, and zinc based compounds) were injurious to the health of the medical students performing dissections. Later, whilst studying under a phrenologist, he had the opportunity to examine the heads of a number of Egyptian mummies, and concluded that embalming could be achieved without the use of hazardous compounds. Preservation is a broad term, applying in several areas where items are preserved or conserved in some manner. ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ... General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Atomic mass 74. ... Look up Mercury in Wiktionary, the free dictionary // Mercury, or Mercurius, derives from the Roman god Mercury (mythology). ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Atomic mass 65. ... Dissected rat showing major organs. ... Phrenology (from Greek: φρην, mind and λογος, study) is a theory which claims to be able to determine character and personality traits and criminality on the basis of the shape of the head (reading bumps). Developed by German physician Franz Joseph Gall around... Mummified cat from Ancient Egypt. ... Embalming, in most modern cultures, is the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall decomposition and make it suitable for display at a funeral. ...

Experimentation

Immediately prior to the American Civil War, Holmes experimented with arterial embalming based on the earlier work of Mons. Gannal of Paris. Through this experimentation, he developed an arterial solution, which went on to be manufactured commercially and was sold for $3.00 per gallon, and injection apparatus. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Part of the Paris and La Défense skylines with from left to right: Montparnasse Tower, Eiffel Tower, and La Défense towers. ... Section of an artery An artery or arterial is also a class of highway. ... The gallon (abbreviation: gal) is an English unit of volume. ... An injection is a method of putting liquid into the body with a hollow needle and a syringe which is pierced through the skin long enough for the material to be forced into the body. ...

Practice

During the Civil War, Dr. Holmes embalmed Union soldiers and officers as a means of preservation so that the remains could be shipped back to their families. He personally claimed to have embalmed, "4028 soldiers and officers, field and staff", although some believe this figure to be inflated. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...