Jaundice – More than just Colour

Jaundice is and always has been a big concern for embalmers. Problematic concerns of the bilirubin turning to that tetrapyrrolic bile green pigment known as biliverdin are often at the forefront of every embalmer’s mind.  It is a common situation when an individual has a medical condition involving the liver or gallbladder that their body can turn a bright yellow jaundice colour.  The liver is the “toxic waste treatment plant” of the body that has failed or diminished in its effectiveness causing a large accumulation of poison toxins to ravage the human body often leading to death.  The build-up of bilirubin causes the yellow color as it builds up in a layer just under the skin surface creating an unpleasant aberrant appearance to the remains.

When a jaundiced case is embalmed with formaldehyde it can turn that horrible green colour resulting in a very unpleasant result.  Old school methods promoted using low index chemicals and even home remedies, but they never really worked.  In today’s world, we know that other significant factors are more important for the embalmer to be concerned with than the color of the skin.  Higher index chemicals with strong bleaching and drying properties are needed to overcome these obstacles.   Often these remains have been on a regimen of medications and have been through a significant battle to prolong life that has taken its toll on the internal chemistry of the body which is far more of a concern for the embalmer.

Stronger chemicals are needed to overcome these obstacles before we concern ourselves with colour of skin.  Cosmetics and internal dyes can easily resolve colour issues.  An under-embalmed body has more potential to cause serious problems and is just not worth the risk and compromises your reputation as an embalmer. This turns into a costly mistake.  

Embalmers should always be concerned with the internal dynamics of what caused the individual to die and the effects it will have on the chemicals chosen for the preparation.

In cases of jaundice and all cases of atypical colour, we should do as we do in life. Embalmers should focus not on the colour of one’s skin but on what makes up the individual on the inside.