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The Science of Hugo Chavez's Long Term Embalming

Posted by Unknown on from the beyond-the-grave dept.

Hugh Pickens writes writes "Discover Magazine reports that Hugo Chavez will apparently get an embalming job designed to keep him looking alive for decades similar to that of Russia's Vladimir Lenin, whose body still lies in a mausoleum in Moscow's Red Square, nearly 90 years after his death. So how do you preserve a human body for decades without it turning into a pile of melted tissue? First, get to work quickly. Upon death, the human body starts decomposing immediately. The way to stop it is with formaldehyde, a preservative used for the past century, which inhibits the enzyme decomposition as well as killing bacteria. 'You pump the chemical in, and as the formaldehyde hits the cells of the body, it firms up the protein of the cell, or fixates it,' says Vernie Fountain, head of the Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills in Springfield, Mo. 'That's what makes them stiff.' With a body that will have to be on display for years, it's likely to require a top-shelf, super-strong solution. 'If I were doing Hugo Chavez, I would strengthen the solution and use more preservative product,' says Fountain. Next, get a good moisturizer. Formaldehyde preserves, but it also dries out the body. Vaseline or other moisturizers can preserve the look of skin, according to Melissa Johnson Williams, executive director of the American Society of Embalmers. Finally keep cool. Heat decomposes a body so for long term preservation, the body has to be kept at the temperature of a standard kitchen refrigerator, somewhere in the mid-40s. Lastly, if Venezuelans really want to keep Hugo Chavez around forever, like many other world figures, there's only one solution that works, according to Fountain. 'The best form of preservation is mummification.'"

7 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. Preserved To Show Who Took over $100 Billion... by BoRegardless · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And gave it away to the likes of Cuba and Bolivia and Iran for influence, while the citizens who elected Hugo Chavez received no benefit and the petro industry in Venezuela degraded due to lack of upgrades.

    1. Re:Preserved To Show Who Took over $100 Billion... by mabhatter654 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The petrol industry pays for their OWN upgrades... What Chavez did was increase the amount of rent the country charged to pump its oil... So the private industry retaliates by dragging their feet causing delays.

      Remember said industry tried to violate the laws of the country and depose him... They FAILED, do he has no reason to play fair and not convert his country to be as anti-budiness as possible.

    2. Re:Preserved To Show Who Took over $100 Billion... by Darinbob · · Score: 2, Insightful

      In the same way that Chavez violated the laws of the country and attempted a coup of a lawfully elected government and failed at it. Oh the irony...

    3. Re:Preserved To Show Who Took over $100 Billion... by phantomfive · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Yeah, that's the great tragedy of Hugo Chavez. A charismatic leader who entered the scene with wild popularity in his country and could have done so much to change things in his problem-plagued country. Instead he squandered the opportunity.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    4. Re:Preserved To Show Who Took over $100 Billion... by phantomfive · · Score: 1, Insightful

      And before you start it, Chavez won two elections (ending the two party duopolly) so whatever he did had the support of the majority of the people.

      This is a half-truth. It is true that Chavez had support of the majority (though a huge minority hates him, he's a polarizing figure).

      However, Venezuela doesn't have freedom of speech. How can the people support or oppose Chavez's policies if they don't even know what he's doing? It's a farce. That is why for democracy, freedom of speech is more important than election processes. Remember even the Soviet Union had elections.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  2. I find this rather nauseous... by Bearhouse · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've been lucky enough to have travelled around the world, including Moscow and Peking.
    Never felt the need to visit the chemically-preserved remains of "great" men there.

    Can anybody please cite me a truly humane, visionary leader who was embalmed in modern times, for public display?
    How about "despots"?
    Candidates should include Tito and Ataturk?

    Nope, not one. They did not need it, and neither did the population they left behind.

  3. Re:uh oh by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, but the more accurate "fascist" has too many negative connotations to be acceptable.

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison