Preserving The Body
One of the main problems the embalmers faced was the appearance of dark spots on the skin, especially on the face and hands. They managed to solve the problem by the use of a variety of different reagents in between baths. For example, if a patch of wrinkling or discoloration occurred it was treated with an acetic acid diluted with water. Hydrogen peroxide could be used to restore the tissues' original colouring. Damp spots were removed by means of disinfectants like quinine or phenol.
Until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the continued preservation work was funded by the Russian government. At that point the government discontinued financial support and now private donations support the preservation staff.
Read more about this topic: Lenin's Mausoleum
Famous quotes containing the words the body, preserving the, preserving and/or body:
“We are truly indefatigable in providing for the needs of the body, but we starve the soul.”
—Ellen Wood (1813–87)
“The children despise their parents until the age of 40, when they suddenly become just like them—thus preserving the system.”
—Quentin Crewe (20th century)
“The poor President, what with preserving his popularity and doing his duty, is completely bewildered.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Unlike femininity, relaxed masculinity is at bottom empty, a limp nullity. While the female body is full of internal potentiality, the male is internally barren.... Manhood at the most basic level can be validated and expressed only in action.”
—George Gilder (b. 1939)