X-Message-Number: 17592
From: 
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 03:08:01 EDT
Subject: Lalolin, Rosewater and the like...

Several people have written me, and one has called me, about the Rosewater 
flap. The call was particularly amusing since the suggestion was put forth 
that I am Clarissa Wells. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not. I did say that to 
the caller that I would tell what I know about lanolin and Rosewater as they 
relate to embalming products, and the little I know about any statement from 
Mr. Albin to the media regarding same.

Contrary to statements pointed out to me on Cryonet, lanolin was (and for all 
I know may still be) a staple in embalming fluids. I haven't kept up on this 
area over the past decade, but I know that both Champion Company and Frigid 
Fluid Company had emulsified lanolin as an ingredient in some of their 
intraarterial products. In fact, I've seen these products used and they are a 
major reason I do not think embalming pumps can be adequately cleaned up for 
use on cryopatients. The reservoir tank looks bad enough; it's hard to 
imagine getting the centrifugal pump clean.

Why lanolin? Probably no very rational reason. A major problem with embalmed 
bodies on display is dehydration of the tips of the eyelids, nose, fingers, 
lips, and other areas which have poor surface to volume ratios and/or good 
permeability. This results in browning or blackening of these structures and 
is unaesthetic. As I recall from the promotional materials I used to receive 
from Champion Company the lanolin was supposed to reduce dehydration and keep 
tissues "supple and moist." Lanolin is not a true "humectant" such as 
glycerine (glycerol) which is also often present in arterial embalming 
fluids. These fluids are usually a witch's brew of ingredients and are often 
opaque from dissolved lipids, and who knows what else.

Rosewater was a standard in embalming fluids and several embalmers I've known 
who mixed their own fluids used it as late as 1975; probably more for its 
"mystical" qualities than its practical ones. In the early days of embalming 
Rosewater was used in both arterial fluid and on bodies to reduce the odor of 
both formaldehyde and decomposition. It is no accident that flowers have been 
a staple at funerals since the era of the Neanderthals. 

Around the beginning of the 20th century the fragrance tuberose largely 
displaced Rosewater for this purpose. It is a surprisingly powerful 
odor-masking fragrance and is still used in the perfume industry. It is also 
very expensive; the last time I bought any it was $20.00 for an 1/8th of an 
ounce of the natural extract. A synthetic version is available and I have 
been told by perfumers that it was developed for the mortuary industry. It is 
a poor substitute for the real thing.

For those of a literary bent, the poet and author Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) 
who had a rather delightfully morbid sensibility deliberately chose tuberose 
as her fragrance of choice and had it compounded as her personal perfume. A 
sample of her verse is below:

            Resume


                   Razors pain you;

                   Rivers are damp;

                   Acids stain you;

                   And drugs cause cramp.

                   Guns aren't lawful;

                   Nooses give;

                   Gas smells awful;

                   You might as well live.

If you're American and are wondering about the line "guns aren't lawful" 
please remember that Ms. Parker lived in New York City where private handgun 
ownership was outlawed (without special police permit) after an attempt on 
the life of New York Mayor Fiorella La Guardia. Thus, where Ms. Parker lived 
in the United States guns weren't and still aren't lawful. For those of you 
who are fans of the American TV show LAW AND ORDER you will now understand 
why they are always talking about whether a suspect's gun was "registered," 
and to whom.

As to the matter of Mr. Albin. I can say only that I once saw a newspaper 
article quoting him (I believe it may have been British in origin and may be 
in the clipping archive started by Arthur McCombs at Alcor) wherein he is 
quoted to the effect that (sic) "his cryonics cases were first injected with 
lanolin and Rosewater and the treated with glycerine to protect against 
freezing injury." I am very certain that I read that article because I 
remembered at the time thinking that he must have been misinformed. That had 
to be prior to 1993. This makes it more credible that a second remark (over a 
decade later) about Rosewater to the press was accurate (not necessarily that 
he used it but that he said it; these can be two very different things). 

That is all I have to say about the "war of the roses." Now, will people 
kindly leave me out of this battle? Rest assured I have plenty more problems 
of my own. 

My parting comment: if you are going to use anything of this kind use 
tuberose; it's really much nicer and has the cachet of being truly expensive.

Mike Darwin

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