Thomas Holmes (mortician)

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Thomas Holmes
Bornc. 1817
Resting placeCypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
Known forPhysician who is considered the father of American embalming

Thomas Holmes (c. 1817–1900) was a

mortician who is often thought of as the "father of American embalming".[1][2]

Early life

He was born in Brooklyn,

College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in 1845. His name appears variously in several New York City directories under listings as a Physician and Surgeon
from 1847 onwards.

Study of embalming

While at university, Holmes had become concerned with methods of preservation used on

mummies, and concluded that embalming
could be achieved without the use of hazardous compounds.

Immediately prior to the

arterial solution, which went on to be manufactured commercially and was sold for $3.00 per1-US-gallon (3.8 L), and injection
apparatus.

Civil War practice

During the Civil War, Holmes was commissioned in the Union army medical corps.[3] Having experimented with embalming procedures previously, he was asked to embalm a few Union soldiers killed in battle so that the remains could be shipped back to their families. Holmes charged $100 per body.[3] Abraham Lincoln eventually sanctioned the treatment for all fallen soldiers and officers, and in four years Holmes embalmed several thousand bodies. He personally claimed to have embalmed, "4028 soldiers and officers, field and staff",[3] although some believe this figure to be inflated.

After the war, Holmes returned to Brooklyn a rich man. The widespread use of arterial embalming for fallen soldiers made Holmes' technique widely known, and as a result embalming as part of funeral preparations became more accepted in America.[3]

Burial

Holmes is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn. A plaque was erected next to his burial site in 2014 by historian Andrew Carroll.[4]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-393-32482-2
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0-89789-632-0
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e Tom Hickman, Death - A User's Guide, London 2002, p. 102.
  4. ^ Moynihan, Colin (26 May 2014). "A Quest to Recognize Forgotten Achievements Still Relevant in Everyday Life". NY Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014. Andrew Carroll placed a plaque for Dr. Thomas Holmes next to his burial site at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn.
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