Of course, the word "morgue" is far from the most pleasant in terms of its meaning. However, it has an interesting history of appearance, very often pops up in the works of mass culture. For those who nevertheless decided to learn more about this word (or an abbreviation?), We will try to sort it out "on the shelves."
Abbreviation "Morgue"
The term "morgue" refers to a special building or room at forensic medical institutions, where the identification, storage, autopsy and subsequent release of corpses for burial take place.
The word "morgue" is unofficial, used only in the colloquial speech of specialists. In the slang of pathologists, "morgue" is an abbreviation meaning There is no such interpretation in official medical documents. Moreover, the word itself does not occur in them. In hospitals, the procedure for opening the bodies of the deceased takes place in thanatological (pathological) halls, in institutions for forensic medical examination of corpses.
Hence, morgues come in two varieties. Those where the study of those who died from diseases is carried out are called pathological anatomical. And those where an examination of those killed by violent death is carried out (or there is at least some suspicion about this, for example, complaints from the relatives of the deceased about improper treatment), of unidentified bodies, are called forensic.
History of the concept
Morgue is an abbreviation or word of French origin. In the Languedoc dialect of this language, morga (morgue) means nothing more than "face", "place of exhibition of faces." But what does this have to do with the pathology rooms?
This was the name of the premises in French prisons, where newly-made prisoners were brought. It was equipped in such a way that nothing would prevent the guards from peering into the faces of the convicts until the image of the convicts was imprinted in memory like a photograph. Then the morgue was made more versatile. In the department, the corpses of unknown persons were laid down so that passers-by could see them and, if anything, identify them.
For the first time such a morgue appeared in 1604 in Grand-Châtelet; it even had its own name: Basse-Geôle. The corpses were washed and placed in the cellar in order to somehow prevent decomposition. There was a wide window above the underground morgue for the identification procedure. All this difficult business was organized by the hospital sisters of the Order of St. Catherine.
Such a morgue (the abbreviation of modernity did not fit it then) existed until 1804. Then they decided to make his device more humane.
Morgue in Russia
Since in the XV-XVII centuries. on the territory of the Moscow state, the climate of the Little Ice Age reigned, in winter it was extremely difficult to bury the deceased - a deep layer of snow, solidified earth, hard as stone. The dead were washed, wrapped in white linen, put on red shoes and taken away to Bozhed. God's house is a premise built outside the village, a morgue (the abbreviation of the present tense also does not reflect its essence) to some extent. Here, cold and therefore solid corpses were simply piled on top of each other. In the spring, when the ground began to thaw, the relatives took the body of the deceased from Bozhedom and gave it to the ground.
Morgue work
In modern pathological rooms, the bodies of the deceased are stored in special chambers at a temperature of +2 degrees Celsius. It is this temperature regime that prevents the rapid development of the decay process. The personal belongings and clothing of the deceased or deceased are kept in the storage rooms in the same condition in which they were received in the thanatological department. After an autopsy has been carried out and the cause of death has been established, the things of the deceased are disposed of, and the body is handed over to relatives for cremation or burial.
Thus, "morgue" is an abbreviation and a whole word at the same time, but used only in specific colloquial speech.
There are times when a loved one dies far from home and loved ones cannot quickly come to spend their last journey with their relative. In this case, there is a way out - embalming the deceased. And today we will find out what this term means, how the procedure is carried out in the morgue and at home.
Body embalming in the morgue: what is this event?
This is the process of impregnating the organs and tissues of a deceased person with substances that inhibit their decomposition. Special embalming solutions are injected under pressure into the corpse. And if the deceased was not opened, then the liquid is introduced through a cannula inserted into the right place.
It takes about 6-7 liters of solution to embalm the body. The usual composition of the liquid used is formalin in pure form or diluted with alcohol in an equal ratio.
Embalming the body in the morgue is the determination in the tissue of the corpse of substances that inhibit the processes of decay. Such "conservation" of the deceased is carried out for educational, scientific, forensic medical purposes and, of course, for aesthetic and sanitary and hygienic reasons.
In what situations is such a procedure necessary?
Body embalming is used under the following circumstances:
If it is not possible to hold a funeral immediately after the death of a person.
If you need to wait for distant relatives who are obliged to say goodbye to the deceased.
To preserve the body for a long time in hot weather.
If a person died away from home and needs to be transported to his native land.
To improve the efficiency of diagnostics for necropsy (postmortem examination and examination of the body, including internal organs).
For a funeral service in a church or temple.
Body preparation
How does the embalming procedure begin? Of course, with the preparation of the body of the deceased, which is performed as follows:
1. It is necessary to put the deceased face up.
2. It is necessary to remove all clothing from the deceased. This is necessary in order for a specialist to follow the skin, control the entire embalming process. The genitals must be covered with a sheet or towel.
3. Disinfection of eyes, mouth, ears, nose is carried out. This treatment helps to cleanse the body internally and externally.
4. Shaving the deceased. Facial hair is usually removed.
5. Removal of rigor mortis by massage. Major muscle groups are rubbed to release tension, and joints are massaged to loosen them. If this is not done, then the vascular pressure may increase, and this will definitely interfere with the embalming process.
6. It is necessary to close the eyes and mouth of the deceased. This should be done very carefully.
7. Do not forget to apply the cream on the lips and eyelids - this will protect them from drying out, as well as make them look natural.
After completing all the preparatory procedures, the specialist proceeds directly to the embalming process, and after the end of this event, the deceased should still be identified in the coffin, and how this is done correctly will be described below.
Techniques for protecting the body from decay
Body embalming in a morgue can be done in four ways:
- Lane preservation of the tissues of the deceased.
- Saving injection procedure.
- Superficial "conservation" of the corpse.
- Vascular embalming.
What procedure for embalming the deceased is suitable for this or that deceased, experts determine. And now we will briefly outline the differences and features of each of the techniques for protecting the body from decomposition.
Strip embalming
Its essence lies in the processing of the internal organs of the corpse, because the fastest processes of decay begin to occur in the peritoneum and chest. This method is divided into two more subspecies:
Puncture;
Split.
In the first case, a puncture is made in the peritoneum and an antiseptic solution is poured through the hole (about one and a half to two liters). The embalming of the body in the morgue using the cut method is carried out as follows: a small section is performed with penetration into the anterior translucent serous membrane directly into the cavity. This method is used in such cases:
If you need long-term transportation of the corpse, and putrefactive processes have already begun.
If the deceased is too obese.
Injection embalming
This method is usually used in combination with puncture. The specialist impregnates the soft tissues of the deceased with an antiseptic solution - face, neck and hands. He injects a small amount of liquid while also doing a light massage. This is necessary so that the preservative is evenly distributed.
Superficial "canning" of a dead person
This method is understandable to many based on its name. In this case, the embalming procedure is performed as follows: a special composition is applied to damaged skin (wounds, decomposition), as well as thanatogel. This method is the easiest and most affordable, since you do not need to pierce the body, make incisions and inject liquid inside.
Vascular "conservation" of the body
This is a very difficult method that only an experienced pathologist can competently carry out. By the way, this method of saving the body is very rarely used. In this case, a special embalming solution is injected through the blood artery system. With this method, the body of the deceased is preserved for a very long time.
The final stage
The last step is the placement of the dead in the tomb, and for this it is necessary to perform the following activities:
1. It is necessary to thoroughly wash the deceased: wash off the blood and chemical elements left after embalming from the body with the help of the disinfectant that was used earlier.
2. It is important to give your face a natural look through cosmetics. You also need to trim your nails and comb your hair.
3. Putting on clothes. Usually the family of the deceased chooses what their deceased relative will wear, so they bring the decoration in advance.
4. Determination of the body in the coffin. Calmly and carefully, the deceased should be transferred to the tomb. If relatives make any comments and make suggestions about the appearance or position of the body, then you should use them and do as the relatives of the deceased want.
Where is the event taking place?
The embalming procedure of the deceased, a photo of which can be seen in this article, is carried out in the morgue if a person got there from a hospital or at home. However, in the latter case, the relatives must have a medical report on the death of a loved one.
The procedure itself lasts from 2 to 4 hours. It is advisable to complete it no later than 12 hours after the death is established.
Body embalming at home: why is it rare?
The preservation of the body of the deceased most often occurs in the morgue, and why exactly there, now we'll figure it out.
- Since the embalming procedure is a rather specific event, not every family will agree to it at home.
- At the moment, there are few cases when the deceased can be left at home without sending him to the morgue for autopsy.
- In hot weather, the funeral can be held earlier than the third day, of course, if the relatives do not mind.
What will the specialist do outside the morgue?
Embalming at home is performed according to a simplified scheme - by the method of conventional cavity fixation. Specifically, a specialist makes injections with a 10% formalin solution in a circle, starting from 50 to 150 ml of liquid, depending on the location. The expert does not touch the internal organs, with the exception of the lungs. The specialist must be careful and careful so as not to damage during embalming
Also, the person performs and the oropharynx. This is necessary so that physiological fluids do not flow. A special make-up or a mask is applied to the face of the deceased (it must be periodically changed until the moment of burial).
Pros and cons of home embalming
Positive points:
The deceased is within the walls of his home, as he wanted, and all this time the relatives will be near the deceased person.
The embalming procedure outside the morgue is suitable for those segments of the population who, by religion, are prohibited from making incisions on the body of the deceased.
This method is suitable for the deceased who previously suffered from liver disease, while vascular "preservation" of the body (replacing blood with formalin) often leads to strong facial changes.
If relatives want to personally monitor the progress of a specialist's work.
For an expert - the safety of working with HIV-infected bodies. Since there is no direct contact with blood, the risk of transmission of this disease is significantly reduced. With this method, scalpels and other cutting objects are not used, only a needle is used to introduce fluid into the cavity.
The procedure is cheaper than the one performed in the morgue.
Negative points:
The body is saved for only 4-5 days.
Relatives will have to change the mask on their face, which for many will seem a real challenge, however, like the whole procedure.
What things do you need to bring to the morgue's family?
In order for the deceased to be brought back to a "normal" form, relatives should be provided with the following things for men:
Clothes (panties, T-shirt, socks, shirt, shoes, tie, suit, handkerchief).
Towel.
Shaver.
Cologne.
And for deceased women, the following items are needed:
Clothes (underwear, stockings, nightgown, headscarf, shoes; outerwear - dress, suit or robe).
Towel.
Cologne (eau de toilette).
Event cost
The embalming procedure is not very cheap, especially if done in a morgue. On average, the price of “canning” the deceased at home ranges from 3500-5000 rubles. And such an event in the morgue costs 10,000-25,000 rubles, depending on the method chosen.
Now you know what embalming is, how this procedure is performed in the morgue, and what methods specialists use to preserve the body for a long time. We found out that such an event can be done at home, by the way, it will cost much less. But not every family is able to agree to carry out embalming within the walls of their home. But be that as it may, wherever it is held, you still need to know: for the safety of the body, as well as in case, it is necessary to hold such an event.
Alexey is a calm, unperturbed person and it is very difficult to surprise or scare him. Our hero works in a morgue and it is he who deals with all the most unpleasant and terrible manipulations with corpses. Alexei agreed to tell Dialogue how it feels for him to spend his time in the company of the dead, what they do with a human body in a morgue, and why a corpse can “breathe” or even explode.
"Here I am not at all nervous - the silence is deathly"
Previously, I worked as an orderly in the ambulance, and also in the intensive care unit, so the work was very “fun”, people came across different: screaming and yelling, and with gunshot wounds, and seizures. There were too many such impressions, I lost a lot of nerves there. I got a job in a morgue. Here I am not at all nervous - the silence is deathly. I believe that you need to be afraid of the living, but the dead will do nothing. I am not scared or disgusted, as many believe. At first it was unusual to work with the dead, not the living. At first he did everything carefully, slowly: he was afraid, probably, to hurt him, out of habit. Now everything is normal. When the hand is full, it turns out much faster. I know that there are all sorts of anecdotes, jokes and stereotypes about how morgue workers, fearing nothing, can eat a sandwich with one hand right over a corpse, and sew with the other. But this is all nonsense. If they see such a stereotypical character in such a case, they will be fired, and a large fine will be charged for violation of sanitary standards and medical ethics.
"In the very first shift in the morgue, I came across 11 dead at once"
The schedule is very convenient: from 3 pm to 9 am. If you want more money, you take more shifts. During this time you manage to do all the work, eat, take a shower, relax and do your own business. For a shift, either no one happens, or two or three corpses. True, according to the law of meanness, during my very first shift in the morgue, 11 dead people were immediately caught. Our pathology department accepts the deceased from several polyclinics, but the flow is small, and there is a lot of space. And I have been in such morgues, where a meter by meter is a dark room, there are sarcophagi - find yourself among them where the corpse is. I know that there are also such morgues where there is a catastrophic lack of places, and the dead are lying on top of each other.
"I got scared when I first had a woman" breathing "on the table"
At work, firstly, I do the embalming: either completely, or only the head and arms, or only the head. They differ only in the amount of payment, and they are usually completely embalmed for long-distance transportation of the dead to other cities. Usually I embalm only hands-face, these are prominent places. At the same time, the whole body is pumped by anastomoses, and also decomposes more slowly, and the legs generally rot in the last turn. The main thing in this business is not to pump your eyes, otherwise they will be bloated, bulging and scary. Second, I'm doing the autopsy. Thirdly, I sew up the corpses. There is a peculiarity: when a needle and thread pass through the skin with a small fat layer, it creaks and whistles - and at first it was scary. And when you transfer large people from the gurney to the table, more than a hundred kilograms, the remaining air comes out of the lungs, and the deceased "sighs". The first time I really got scared when I had one woman “breathing” on the table. I also wash and make up the corpses, and I prepare them for the funeral too. The pathologist, unlike me, spends only 15 percent of his working time at the table: he examines organs, medical history, conducts analyzes.
"One woman asked to put a pack of Belomor under the pillow for her husband."
The very process of working with a corpse is strictly phased. When it is necessary to determine what a person died from, an incision is made from the head to the groin in order to get and check the internal organs. If there is a complete dissection, the tongue together with the larynx are pulled out and studied. Last but not least, if no cause for death is found in the organs of the body, the head is opened. We cut the skin, remove the scalp, then open the skull with a circular saw, remove the brain, chop it into large pieces. The brain does not return to the skull; it is placed in the chest cavity with other organs. At the same time, the head is clogged with rags or cotton wool. I prefer cotton wool - it fits more tightly. A cloth is placed on top, and it is necessary to make the skull spring a little - so that when the scalp is pulled back onto the skull, the skin stretches correctly, and the head looks aesthetically pleasing, without bevels. It is important to scoop out fluids from all cavities so that the corpse does not flow.
Then the mouth is clogged - so that the jaw is closed. If the deceased is lying without a headrest and the mouth does not open, this is a perfect job. Then we put the organocomplex back into the body cavity. We sew up the deceased, wash them, women must wash their hair. We make a formalin mask to fix the face, then into a bag and into the refrigerator. If necessary, we make up the deceased. Usually we use theatrical make-up - coarse, it fits more tightly and covers all bruises well. But some relatives bring their usual cosmetics. Often, the colognes of the dead are brought in to smell like a person's life. One woman asked her husband to put a pack of Belomor cigarettes under the pillow, because he loved to smoke them. Everyone has their own quirks and desires in this matter.
"In the 1990s, the threads were bitten with teeth after the corpse was sewn up."
We have a very strict hygiene practice. It's a whole ritual. First, you put on a cloth surgical suit, then a disposable gown, which is tied at the back, then a disposable apron, then a glove, oversleeves, a second glove on top - if the liquid starts to flow down the oversleeve, it will not get on the skin. Then the mask, cap and glasses. But we do not always wear glasses - we work carefully and do not need it. Always have waterproof shoes. After work, you thoroughly wash and disinfect everything. And then you pull off this whole "suit", the straps break from behind, you take off your gloves from the inside, you don't touch anything. Then he went - washed himself, rubbed himself with alcohol, and was ready. I know that in the "dashing 90s" the people were not afraid of anything, their hygiene was much easier. After sewing up the corpse, they bit the threads with their teeth. I can't do that. We still have general cleanings every six months - after them you can even eat from the floor.
"A rootless corpse is a tragedy for the morgue"
If the police find a homeless corpse, for example, a homeless man who died right on the street and has no relatives, then he is also brought to the morgue. But in general, a rootless corpse is a tragedy for the morgue. They lie for a very long time, no one comes for them, and the state cannot and will not bury them all for its own money. Embalming is an expensive procedure, so no one will do it from their own pocket to an unknown person. In general, they start to decompose, smell bad. Then they are put in formalin baths and then cut into pieces. There is a department of normal anatomy in medical universities, where drugs are needed for students. It is these rootless ones who are cut there and they are sent there so that future doctors will study and train on specific samples of the human body. The same fate awaits those who bequeathed their bodies or organs to the day of science.
"There are plenty of unusual incidents at work"
Despite the fact that the work is quiet, there are also plenty of unusual incidents. In the same "dashing 90s" there was a case when, after the autopsy and embalming, there were two grandmothers in the department, well, very similar to each other. The relatives of the first old woman came, did not look much, and took one of the deceased. And they had to take their grandmother to the crematorium. Then other relatives came and looked: "This is not our grandmother." They checked the tag on the corpse - and the truth is not the same. They called the last family, who took someone else's old woman - and that grandmother, it turns out, had already been burned. In general, there were real gangster showdowns, for the orderly responsible for these grandmothers, it was somehow scary as a result.
There was a case when they brought a "float" to the university ( drowned man - IA "Dialogue"). The pressure outside and inside the body is different - inside it is, accordingly, very high. The corpse was bloated, but the orderly did not see it. In general, the students began to cut it, reached the belly - and there was a "bang". It's like piercing a balloon inflated with a needle. Guts on the ceiling, on the teacher, on the students - everywhere. So there are many nuances in this work.
Text and illustrations - Valeria Mitroshenko / IA "Dialogue"
Death has always frightened and will always frighten a person. But not every person - there are those among us who do not care at all about the mystical background of existence: he died and died, what is there to discuss. So who are these people who are considered by many to be the darkest in the entire world? Is the job of a morgue orderly worth the spent nerves?
It is theoretically possible to get to the morgue from the street, but in practice, people associated with medicine most often work here. Morgue jobs are well paid, however, and many struggle to get there as an orderly.
Legends
There are a lot of stories about unprincipled cynical orderlies among the people. And they eat right on the corpses, and they take their skulls from the morgue for fun. In fact, no one in their right mind will even carry food into the refrigerator room: just imagine how many infections there are. Taking home someone's skull is also a stupid and problematic business - go and explain later to your relatives and the police where this headless horseman came from.
Different morgues
Morgues are subdivided into anatomical and forensic. Anatomical is located at hospitals, corpses from other medical institutions are brought here. Forensic medicine is needed for police needs, because the law requires an expert opinion to close a criminal case. Various specialists work in these places: the police are "served" by an expert looking for traces of violence; in the anatomical morgue, the pathologist finds out the effect on the body of a fatal disease.
Cleanliness in the blood
The morgue orderly cannot be distinguished in a crowd from an ordinary person. Naturally, they do not smell of the dead, and there are no special marks. But they are all extremely clean people. They wash their hands whenever possible, because they understand what any infection is fraught with.
Money place
According to rumors, in the 90s, working in the morgue was considered very profitable. At that time, money and jewelry could be found in the pocket of the corpse, which no one kept records. But now everything is arranged differently: relatives are watching the property of the deceased very carefully. So the stories about winning lottery tickets are nothing more than a bike.
Death collection
On the other hand, many orderlies continue to collect all sorts of little things found in the pockets of the deceased. People are generally inclined to collecting, and this is where the matter takes on a competitive scale: who will find more interesting things. For this you can fly out of work, but the risk only adds to collecting sharpness.
Comfort comes first
Modern morgues are equipped with many things necessary for life. This work is nervous even by medical standards, so the hospital management is trying to brighten up the lives of orderlies and pathologists as much as they can. Gym, shower, plasma on the wall in the morgue are not uncommon.
What do they do with the body in the morgue?
The city morgues provide a range of services, including:
- Autopsy and determination of the exact cause of death. An autopsy may not be carried out only if the patient has died of natural causes due to a long illness. The fact of such a disease must be recorded in the patient's medical record and confirmed by his attending physician.
- Body washing and embalming, if necessary. Previously, pathologists or forensic experts discuss with relatives how long the funeral will be organized in Moscow, that is, how long the body should not decompose. Nowadays, specialists can save the deceased for a very, very long period of time.
- Make-up or make-up is often applied to the face of the deceased to hide traces of violence, bruising and natural decay. The men are shaved and their mustaches are trimmed. Everyone, without exception, has their nails cut or filed.
- They dress the deceased in the clothes brought by their relatives, and put them in a coffin.
Can a body be mishandled or confused with another in the morgue?
In such institutions, bodies are treated with due respect. In the morgue, in no case can there be organ harvesting for transplantation or other abominations that unscrupulous people can frighten. Firstly, already a few hours after death, human organs are absolutely not suitable for transplantation. Secondly, to carry out such manipulations, serious medical equipment and other resources are needed that the morgues do not have.
Upon arrival of the body, a thorough inventory of its property is carried out - jewelry, clothing, mobile phone, and so on. When transferring the body, the presence of all these things can be easily checked by checking the list.
