Talk:Embalming chemicals

Comments
AARDbalm is, according to their own literature, NOT an embalming product (given that the goal of embalming is commonly defined as the preservation, sanitation and restoration [or presentation] of human remains )in the strictest sense and the constant inclusion of repeated material concerning Biocides legislation smacks of product pushing, contrary to the idea of the Wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.240.217.248 (talk • contribs)

The information on AARDBalm not being an embalming fluid was added as someone keep adding the biocides information and the AARDBalm name and I wished to present the matter clearly rather than having to constantly delete the product-pushing for AARDbalm. Note that all references to it are now absent.

Eternal Egyptian Embalming Elixir
I'm working on a chapter of a book about embalming and burial practices, and I've never heard of this "Eternal Egyptian Embalming Elixir". There's no citation, and Wikipedia is the only site on the internet discussing it. It's unsubstantiated, and it sounds like someone may have just made it up to put here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.185.94.66 (talk) 01:42, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

"wet"
Deleted for now: "This situation is further confused as "wet" or "fry" sometimes consists of cigarette or joints dipped in formaldehyde and cases of break-ins to funeral homes to obtain it are on record."

If they're on record, can you cite them? Also: how does formaldehyde-dipping change the pharmacology of cigarettes?

Found this, but can't get the full text http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9692385

-CKL

Changed title of section from "Other Uses" to "Confusion With PCP".

A careful study of reference #2 finds no evidence of embalming fluid use in 'wet' and related preparations (other than the word of the users themselves, one police officer, and an unidentified usenet post). The symptoms described are textbook PCP, as noted by the author (re. nystagmus). While the patients apparently don't all test positive for PCP, no claim of the expected reliability of the test(s) used is presented. Meanwhile, Formaldehyde mentions nothing about psychoactivity. It does say it's a gas at room temperature, which means that if you dip something in a formaldehyde solution and let it dry, it's probably all gone. Spector considers exotic explanations involving reactions with THC, and then notes that the observed symptoms are indistinguishable from PCP. Meanwhile, whatever reactions happen in the presence of THC are apparently no more significant than those that happen in the presence of duck tape. The only analysis of the preparation itself in the article names PCP and related compounds, and a couple of solvents.

No evidence of embalming fluid theft is presented either. What's reported is the creation of a protocol to store it more securely at funeral homes (classic drug-war paranoia) and a funeral home break-in involving the theft of a corpse's finger (which wasn't the object of the break-in, of course -- they were obviously looking for fluid and, finding none, took a finger out of spite!).

After all this, the author says, "In summary, it is unclear whether the practice of smoking marijuana soaked in embalming fluid...". Incredible! The final sentence of the section (which cites this reference) should be changed. -CKL


 * There are recordable cases of individuals who has died, hurt or killed others as a result of abusing "dip" (cigarettes or marijuana dipped in embalming fluid). Someone that I went to high school with has recently been killed because of an overdose of "dip". And I did not even known that he on that drug replacement...65.248.77.5 04:53, 19 June 2007 (UTC)


 * I can't make hide nor tail of your last sentence, Virginia. How do you know "dip" contains embalming fluid? -CKL

I'm sorry, I can't stop. The third reference is the funniest / most ironic thing I've read in a long time. They buy $50 worth of "fry" and send it to a lab. They find PCP alright, but refuse to drop their embalming fluid hypothesis! It proves drug prohibition is a form of paranoia. There's no other word for placing so much authority in the thing you despise. -CKL

Olympic swimming pools!
Heh! Talk about your stereotypical journalistic measures. Converting to SI (trivial conversion is not OR :-P) has 1 Olympic swimming pool = 2.5*10^6 liters, so 8 of them is 2*10^7 (20 million) liters. --Kim Bruning (talk) 00:59, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

Environmental impact
Looking at the used chemical compounds used, I really started to wonder about the environmental impact thousands of embalmed bodies in an relatively small area like an graveyard must have. Most of these substances are considered to be toxic waste in the EU and their medium and longterm effects related to groundwater seem to be questionable.

Has anyone any studies on this?91.39.113.206 (talk) 09:29, 15 March 2013 (UTC)

Forever Goop listed at Redirects for discussion
An editor has asked for a discussion to address the redirect Forever Goop. Please participate in the redirect discussion if you wish to do so. signed,Rosguill talk 19:03, 14 May 2019 (UTC)