This is a little off topic, but there's an interesting book entitled 
"Preserving the Dead: The Art and Science of Embalming" (Lindsay 
Publications ISBN0-917914-24-4).  This is a recent reprint of sections 
from two late 19th century and early 20th century embalming textbooks, 
including a section on "Funeral Etiquette."  Morbid but interesting.

Dave McMahan

Meredith Linn wrote:

>Regarding touching corpses:
>I wonder if the taboo applied to certain people being able to touch
>a corpse safely and not others? Family, friends, someone of the
>opposite gender, or of a certain age, etc. might or might not be
>permitted to touch a corpse? In many cultures preparing the dead
>body is a job that is given to older female relatives, for example.
>
>On another note...
>19th C Irish informants told Irish folklore collectors that touching
>the hand of a corpse could cure a person of afflictions such as
>warts and rheumatism.
>
>
>
>
>Quoting "Robert L. Cerra" <[log in to unmask]>:
>
>  
>
>>    I read your post regarding touching of corpses.
>>
>>
>>       Touching of corpses was an ancient practice that was used
>>to determine the guilt or innocense of an individual accused of
>>murder.
>>The authorities would bring the accused to the dead body of the
>>victim.  The accused would be forced to touch the body of the
>>victim and if the victim/dead body bled then the accused was
>>guilty of murdering the victim.  There are many refernces to to
>>this practice as late as the 17th century.  The taboo of touching
>>the corpse may haver come from this practice.  Sometimes
>>referrred to as "blood touching"
>>
>>
>>     Regards
>>     Bob Cerra
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>From: "Amy C. Kowal" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Date: 2007/04/05 Thu PM 06:30:38 CDT
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Fwd: Taboo about touching corpses
>>
>>This inquiry was posted on another listserv, Early Americanists,
>>but I thought maybe some of you might be able to assist Ms.
>>Hutter. You may post to either listserv, or respond to Dr.
>>Griffin directly; I can forward your response if you'd like.
>>
>>  Amy
>>
>>Edward Griffin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>  Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 14:49:33 -0500
>>From: Edward Griffin <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Taboo about touching corpses
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>One of my graduate students, Liz Hutter, brought this question to
>>me,
>>and I blush to confess that I have no answer. So I thought I'd
>>send it
>>to all of you and hope that somebody will point us in the proper
>>direction. I can forward replies to her. Here's Liz's query:
>>
>>In my research (late eighteenth century) on preventing and saving
>>individuals from accidents that could cause sudden death, I have
>>come
>>upon a couple of brief references to social taboos that prevented
>>people
>>from touching or assisting an apparently dead body because
>>corpses were
>>not supposed to be touched. I have been trying to locate other
>>primary
>>and/or secondary discussions of such a taboo about corpses. Where
>>did it
>>come from? Why was a corpse not to be touched, especially one
>>without
>>visible indications of illness? I surmised at first that the
>>literature
>>on premature burial might provide some clues, but I haven't had
>>any
>>luck. I would consider anything from the 18th and 19th centuries;
>>the
>>17th century, too, if that is relevant. Do you have any ideas of
>>sources
>>that might illuminate reasons for this taboo? Or suggestions
>>about where
>>such information might be found?
>>
>>
>>Edward M. Griffin
>>Department of English
>>University of Minnesota
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>
>>Amy C. Kowal, RPA
>>Department of Anthropology
>>Florida State University
>>Tallahassee, FL 32306-7772
>>(850) 644-4281
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>---------------------------------
>>Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels
>>in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit.
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>  
>