What is done to a corpse that it's chest feels like paper?

Question

What is done to a corpse that it's chest feels like paper?

Answer 1

Assuming you don't mean a corpse discarded in the woods, embalming is done to prevent decomposition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalming

The embalming process (and chemicals used) is different for funeral home purposes versus embalming for anatomy education.

Embalming, especially in the anatomy education setting, removes water from the body, since water promotes bacterial growth and decomposition.  As a result, an embalmed body is quite dehydrated, which is why the skin may feel "paper like" to you.

Hope this helps.