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CARE FOR THE<br />
DEAD<br />
The jewellery worn by a deceased person<br />
during his or her lifetime is gently removed<br />
from the body during the care of the corpse and<br />
presented to the surviving relatives in a pouch<br />
as a keepsake.<br />
The aim of mortuary care is to bring the<br />
corpse into a hygienic, aesthetic and dignified<br />
condition before burial. The person treating the<br />
corpse wears disposable gloves.<br />
What happens to the human body after death?<br />
A corpse is the object of care for the dead – from<br />
hygienic washing to the last garment and finally to<br />
burial. Beyond the hygienic care of the dead, thanatopractical<br />
treatment prepares the corpse for laying<br />
out. Selected utensils used in the care of the deceased<br />
are presented here.<br />
A comb is used to give the hair of the deceased<br />
an aesthetic form. A photo of the person before<br />
death is helpful when arranging the hairstyle.<br />
The jaw muscles of the corpse are loosened<br />
by means of massage. A transparent plastic<br />
support is concealed almost invisibly under the<br />
corpse’s graveclothes and holds the chin of the<br />
deceased in place.<br />
118 THE MORTUARY CARE FOR THE DEAD 119
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