The time it takes for bones to decompose is 36 years. What happens to the human body after death

What happens in the coffin after death

Officially, for the body to completely decompose in a coffin, a period of 15 years is allotted. However, re-burial is allowed after about 11-13 years after the first. It is believed that during this time, both the deceased and his last refuge will finally decompose, and the earth can be reused.

Immediately after death, self-digestion of human internal organs and tissues begins. And with it, after a while, rotting. Before the funeral, the processes are slowed down by embalming or cooling the body to make the person look more presentable. But underground there are no more deterrents. And decomposition destroys the body in full swing. As a result, only bones and chemical compounds remain from it: gases, salts and liquids.

In fact, a corpse is a complex ecosystem. It is a habitat and nutrient medium for a large number of microorganisms. The system develops and grows as its environment decomposes. Immunity is turned off shortly after death - and microbes and microorganisms colonize all tissues and organs. They feed on cadaveric fluids and provoke the further development of decay. Over time, all tissues completely rot or decay, leaving a bare skeleton. But it can soon collapse, leaving only separate, especially strong bones.

What happens in the coffin in a year

A year after death, the process of decomposition of residual soft tissues sometimes continues. Often, when excavating graves, it is noted that after a year after death, the cadaverous smell is no longer there - the decay has ended. And the remaining tissues either slowly smolder, releasing mainly nitrogen and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, or there is simply nothing to smolder. Because only the skeleton remained.

Skeletonization is the stage of decomposition of the body, when only one skeleton remains from it. What happens to the deceased in the coffin about a year after death. Sometimes there may still be some tendons or especially dense and dry areas of the body. Then the process of mineralization will take place. It can last a very long time - up to 30 years. Everything left from the body of the deceased will have to lose all the "extra" minerals. As a result, nothing remains of a person, a bunch of bones fastened together. The skeleton falls apart as the articular capsules, muscles and tendons that hold the bones together no longer exist. And in this form it can lie for an unlimited amount of time. This makes the bones very brittle.

What happens to the coffin after burial

Most modern coffins are made from ordinary pine boards. Such material in conditions of constant humidity is short-lived and will exist in the ground for a couple of years. After that, it turns into dust and fails. Therefore, when digging up old graves, it is good if they find several rotten boards that were once a coffin. The service life of the last refuge of the deceased can be somewhat extended by varnishing it. Other, harder and more durable types of wood may not rot for a longer amount of time. And especially rare, metal coffins are quietly stored in the ground for decades.

As the corpse decomposes, it loses fluid and slowly turns into a set of substances and minerals. Since a person is 70% water, it needs to go somewhere. It leaves the body in all possible ways and seeps through the bottom boards into the ground. This obviously does not prolong the life of the tree, excessive moisture only provokes its decay.

How does a man decompose in a coffin

During decomposition, the human body necessarily goes through several stages. They can vary in time depending on the burial environment, the condition of the corpse. The processes that occur with the dead in the coffin, as a result, leave a bare skeleton from the body.

Most often, the coffin with the deceased is buried after three days from the date of death. This is due not only to customs, but also to simple biology. If after five to seven days the corpse is not buried, then this will have to be done in a closed coffin. Since by this time autolysis and decay will have already massively developed, and the internal organs will slowly begin to collapse. This can lead to putrid emphysema throughout the body, bloody fluid flowing out of the mouth and nose. Now the process can be suspended by embalming the body or keeping it in the refrigerator.

What happens to the corpse in the coffin after the burial is reflected in several different processes. Collectively, they are called decomposition, and this, in turn, is divided into several stages. Decay begins immediately after death. But it begins to appear only after some time, without limiting factors - within a couple of days.

Autolysis

The very first stage of decomposition, which begins almost immediately after death. Autolysis is also called "self-digestion". Tissues are digested under the influence of the breakdown of cell membranes and the release of enzymes from cellular structures. The most important of these are the cathepsins. This process does not depend on any microorganisms and starts on its own. Internal organs, such as the brain and adrenal medulla, spleen, pancreas, undergo autolysis most quickly, as they contain the largest amount of cathepsin. A little later, all the cells of the body enter the process. This provokes rigor mortis due to the release of calcium from the interstitial fluid and its combination with troponin. Against this background, actin and myosin combine, which causes muscle contraction. The cycle cannot be completed due to the lack of ATP, so the muscles are fixed and relaxed only after they begin to decompose.

In part, autolysis is also facilitated by various bacteria that spread throughout the body from the intestines, feeding on the fluid flowing from decaying cells. They literally "spread" through the body through the blood vessels. First of all, the liver is affected. However, bacteria get to it within the first twenty hours from the moment of death, first contributing to autolysis, and then putrefaction.

rotting

In parallel with autolysis, a little later than its onset, rotting also develops. The rate of decay depends on several factors:

The state of a person during life.
circumstances of his death.
Soil moisture and temperature.
Density of clothing.

It begins with the mucous membranes and skin. This process can develop quite early if the soil of the grave is damp, and in the circumstances of death there is blood poisoning. However, it develops more slowly in cold regions or if the corpse contains insufficient moisture. Some strong poisons and tight clothing also slow it down.

It is noteworthy that many myths about "groaning corpses" are associated with rotting. This is called vocalization. When a corpse decomposes, a gas is formed, which first of all occupies the cavities. When the body has not yet rotted, it exits through natural openings. When the gas passes through the vocal cords, which are bound by stiff muscles, the output is sound. Most often it is a wheeze or something that looks like a groan. Rigor mortis most often passes just in time for the funeral, so in rare cases, a terrifying sound can be heard from a coffin that has not yet been buried.

What happens to the body in the coffin at this stage begins with the hydrolysis of proteins by microbial proteases and dead cells of the body. Proteins begin to break down gradually, to polypeptides and below. At the output, instead of them, free amino acids remain. It is as a result of their subsequent transformation that a putrid smell arises. At this stage, the process can be accelerated by the growth of mold on the corpse, its settlement with maggots and nematodes. They mechanically destroy tissues, thereby accelerating their decay.

In this way, the liver, stomach, intestines and spleen are most quickly decomposed, due to the abundance of enzymes in them. In this regard, very often the peritoneum bursts in the deceased. During decay, cadaveric gas is released, which overflows the natural cavities of a person (inflates him from the inside). The flesh is gradually destroyed and exposes the bones, turning into a fetid grayish slurry.

The following external manifestations can be considered clear signs of the onset of decay:

Greening of the corpse (formation in the iliac region of sulfhemoglobin from hydrogen sulfide and hemoglobin).
Putrid vascular network (blood that has not left the veins rots, and hemoglobin forms iron sulfide).
Cadaveric emphysema (the pressure of the gas produced during putrefaction inflates the corpse. It can twist the pregnant uterus).
Glow of a corpse in the dark (production of hydrogen phosphide, occurs in rare cases).

Smoldering

The body decomposes most rapidly in the first six months after burial. However, instead of decay, smoldering can begin - in cases where there is not enough moisture for the first and too much oxygen. But sometimes smoldering can begin even after the partial decay of the corpse.

For it to flow, it is necessary that the body receives enough oxygen and does not receive a lot of moisture. With it, the production of cadaveric gas stops. The release of carbon dioxide begins.

Another way - mummification or saponification

In some cases, rotting and smoldering do not occur. This may be due to the processing of the body, its condition, or an environment unfavorable for these processes. What happens to the dead in the coffin in this case? As a rule, there are two ways left - the corpse either mummifies - dries up so much that it cannot decompose normally, or saponifies - a fat wax is formed.

Mummification naturally occurs when a corpse is buried in very dry soil. The body is well mummified when severe dehydration occurred during life, which was aggravated by cadaveric drying after death.

In addition, there is artificial mummification by embalming or other chemical treatment that can stop decomposition.

Zhirosk is the opposite of mummification. It is formed in a very humid environment, when the corpse does not have access to the oxygen necessary for decay and smoldering. In this case, the body begins to saponify (otherwise it is called anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis). The main component of the fat wax is ammonia soap. All subcutaneous fat, muscles, skin, mammary glands and brain turn into it. Everything else either does not change (bones, nails, hair), or rots.

What happens to a person after death in a coffin a year later?

What happens in the coffin with the body after it is buried is of interest to many. Already after the first minutes after death, cell destruction occurs in the body. Conventionally, two processes can be distinguished that occur with body after of death: mummification and decay. With regard to putrefaction of a dead body, it begins on the third day after death. But, the main role here is played by the temperature in which the dead body is located. The higher the temperature, the faster the body decomposes. But with mummification, the body becomes 10 times lighter.

The processes that occur with the body after death are greatly influenced by how and where the corpse is buried. If the soil is wet (or the body is in water), then the body is covered with a white coating, this is also called saponification. If the corpse is buried without a coffin, then after 60 days the body begins to crumble.

The processes that occur with the body can cause explosions. There is such a thing as explosive coffins - this is when the coffin is not buried, but is located in a room, for example, a crypt. About explosive coffins it is known that

After death, the body, the owner of which you have been throughout your worldly life and called it Iquot ;, will turn into an ordinary piece of flesh, meat. After the burial of youquot ;, tobish of your body, under the influence of both internal and external factors, a rapid process of decomposition will begin in your body. Since there is no oxygen left in the body after death, after a while, but approximately after 3-5 days , microbes will begin to multiply at the speed of light and spread throughout the body, starting to decompose. As decomposition progresses, hair, nails, the inside of the hands and feet will begin to separate from the body. and the most interesting thing is that along with the external changes in your body, changes in your internal organs (heart, lungs, liver) will also begin to occur, if your body has not been autopsied, for some specific reason, or an autopsy has been done and all internal organs, examining for conclusion, left in your body. Alas, they also begin to decompose.

And the most unpleasant and terrible moment begins precisely when the gases that have accumulated in the abdomen explode the thinned skin in the very weak spot and will begin to seep out, a sickening stench will begin to emanate from the body. I think everyone (adults naturally) knows that the most unbearable and disgusting smell in the world is cadaveric. And all this happens in an average of a couple of months.

By the second month after burial, muscle tissue will begin to separate from your body, starting from the head. The skin and soft tissues of the body will come off, and the skeleton will begin to be visible. That's it in this place comes about a year from the date of burial. Further, the brain will completely rot and take the form of a certain fibrous-oily mass. The tendons will decompose, stop connecting the bones, and the skeleton will begin to disintegrate ... This whole process will continue until the body turns into a handful of dust and a pile of bones. According to the Law on Burial, about 15 years are allotted for the decomposition of the human body. This figure is based on the fact that in a temperate, normal climate, so to speak, with an average mechanical composition of the soil, at a depth of about 2 m (this is how much a body is buried approximately), it takes from 10 to 12 years on average to decompose a human body to a clean skeleton. In fact, based on all of the above, in a year, only semi-dry remains remain in the coffin with still clear signs of a complete skeleton, and then the process of disintegration of the skeleton will begin, because the bones of the skeleton are also not eternal and are actively decomposed by soil acids.

I believe, and this is my personal subjective opinion, that each person must realize that he is not really a body, the shell given to him is only a temporary cover in which his soul is clothed, while true being is outside the body. I deliberately do not attach photos to this answer, so as not to disturb the emotional perception of people with a weak psychological basis. I sincerely wish you all LONG LIFE! For each of us on this earth has its own time.

No one likes talking about death, about the perishability of being, and so on. For some, they remind lectures on philosophy, which we tried to skip at the institute, but for others they make me sad, make me look at my life from a bird's eye view and understand that there is still so much to do.

No matter how sad it is, it is important to treat this as a part of life and it is useful to season everything with a share of humor, as well as interesting facts.

1. A large number of unpleasant odors.

After death, the body completely relaxes, as a result of which the previously contained gases are released outside.

2. Rigor mortis.

He is also called Rigor Mortis. And it is caused by the loss of a substance called adenosine triphosphate. In short, it is the absence of it that causes the muscles to become hard. A similar chemical reaction begins in the body two to three hours after death. After two days, the muscles relax and return to their original state. Interestingly, in cool conditions, the body is the least susceptible to cadaveric petrification.

3. Goodbye wrinkles!

As mentioned just above, after death, the body relaxes, and this indicates that tension disappears in the muscles. So, small wrinkles in the corners of the lips, eyes, on the forehead may disappear. Also, the smile disappears from the face.

4. Wax bodies.

Some bodies, under certain conditions, can become covered with a substance called "fat wax" or "adipocyr", which is a breakdown product of the body's cells. As a result, some areas of the body may become "waxy". By the way, this fat wax can be white, yellow or gray.

5. Muscle movement.

After death, the body twitches for a couple of seconds, spasms occur in it. Moreover, there were cases when, after a person expired, his chest moved, giving the impression that the deceased was breathing. And the reason for such phenomena lies in the fact that after death for some time the nervous system sends a signal to the spinal cord.

6. Attack by bacteria.

In the body of each of us lives countless bacteria. And for the reason that after death the immune system ceases to function, then nothing prevents them from moving freely throughout the body. So, the bacteria begin to absorb the intestines, and then the tissues surrounding it. Then they invade the blood capillaries digestive system and to the lymph nodes, spreading first to the liver and spleen, and then to the heart and brain.

7. Cadaverous groans.

The body of every person is filled with liquids and gas. As soon as all organs are attacked by bacteria, which we wrote about in the previous paragraph, the process of decay begins, and then part of the gases escapes. So, for them, one of the ways out is the trachea. Therefore, whistling, sighing or groans are often heard inside a dead body. Definitely a terrible sight.

8. Sexual arousal.

In most dead men, after death, the penis swells, resulting in an erection. This is explained by the fact that after cardiac arrest, the blood under the influence of gravitational forces moves to the lower organs, and the penis is one of those.

9. Childbearing.

There have been cases in history when the body of a deceased pregnant woman pushed out a non-viable fetus. This is all due to the presence of gases accumulated inside, as well as complete bodily relaxation.

10. It is impossible to die of old age.

Old age is not a disease. Everyone knows that after the death of a person, his relatives are issued a death certificate. And even if the deceased was 100 years old, this document will not indicate that the cause of his death is old age.

11. Last 10 seconds.

Some experts argue that after the soul has left the body, there may be some cellular activity in the head and brain. All this is the result of muscle contraction. In general, after fixing the state of clinical death, the brain lives for another 6 minutes.

12. Eternal bones.

Over time, all human tissues completely rot. As a result, a bare skeleton remains, which after years can collapse, but in any case, especially strong bones will remain.

13. A little about decomposition.

It is believed that the human body is 50-75% water, and each kilogram of dry body weight during decomposition releases 32 grams of nitrogen, 10 grams of phosphorus, 4 grams of potassium and 1 gram of magnesium into the environment. At first, this kills the vegetation below and around. It is possible that the reason for this is nitrogen toxicity or the antibiotics contained in the body, which are released into the soil by insect larvae that eat the corpse.

14. Bloating and more.

Four days after death, the body begins to swell. This is due to the accumulation of gases in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the destruction of internal organs. The latter does not happen only with the embalmed body. And now there will be a very unpleasant description. So, bloating occurs first in the abdomen, and then spreads to the whole body. Decomposition also discolors the skin and causes blisters. And from all the natural orifices of the body, a foul-smelling liquid begins to ooze. Moisture and heat speed up this process.

15. We fertilize the earth.

As the body decomposes, it releases many nutrients that are absorbed into the soil. You will not believe it, but their increase can improve the ecosystem, in particular, it will become an excellent fertilizer for growing vegetation nearby.

16. Hair and nails.

You have probably heard more than once that, supposedly, after death, hair and nails continue to grow. Actually it is not. It turns out that the skin loses moisture, exposing the hair. And the length of the nails is usually measured from the tips to the point of contact with the skin. So, when the skin recedes, they seem longer, and it seems as if they are growing.

The following stages of death are distinguished: a pre-agonal state (characterized by a disorder of blood circulation and respiration), a terminal pause (sudden cessation of breathing, a sharp depression of the activity of the heart, the extinction of the bioelectric activity of the brain, the extinction of corneal and other reflexes), agony (the body begins to fight for life, there are short-term breath holding), clinical death (lasts 4-10 minutes), biological death (brain death occurs).

18. Blueness of the body.

It occurs when the blood stops circulating through the body. The size and color of such cadaveric spots depends on the position and conditions of the body. Under the influence of gravity, blood settles in the tissues. Thus, a lying body will have spots in the areas on which it rested.

19. Method of burial.

Someone donates his body to science, someone wants to be cremated, mummified or buried in a coffin. And in Indonesia, babies are wrapped in cloth and placed in holes made in the trunks of living growing trees, which are then covered with palm fiber doors and sealed. But that's not all. Every year, in August, a ritual called "manene" takes place. The bodies of dead babies are removed, washed and dressed in new clothes. After that, the mummies "march" throughout the village like zombies... They say that in this way the local population expresses their love to the deceased.

20. Hear after death.

Yes, yes, after death, of all the senses, hearing is the last to surrender. And therefore, relatives often mourning the deceased pour out their souls to him in the hope that he will hear them.

21. Severed head.

After beheading, the head remains conscious for another 10 seconds. Although some doctors say: the reason that a severed head can blink is in a coma into which the body falls. Moreover, all these blinking and facial expressions are caused by a lack of oxygen.

22. Long-lived skin cells.

While a loss of blood circulation can kill the brain in minutes, other cells don't need a constant supply. The skin cells that live on the outer shell of our body can live for several days. They are in contact with the external environment, and through osmosis they will pull out everything they need from the air.

23. Defecation.

It was mentioned earlier that after death, the body relaxes, tension disappears in the muscles. The same applies to the rectum, anus, resulting in defecation. It is launched by gases that overwhelm the body. Now you understand why it is customary to wash the deceased.

24. Urination.

After the onset of death, the deceased may also describe himself. After such relaxation, the process of rigor mortis is started, described in paragraph No. 2.

25.21 grams.

That's how much the human soul weighs. Its density is 177 times less than the density of air. This is not fiction, but a scientifically proven fact.

The topic of what happens to the human body after death is fraught with many interesting facts, shrouded in myths and legends. What actually happens to body tissues when a person dies? And is the decomposition process so terrible, which, judging by the relevant photos and videos, is not a sight for the faint of heart.

Stages of death

Death is the natural and inevitable end of the life of any living being. This process does not happen all at once, it includes a series of successive stages. Death is expressed in the cessation of blood flow, the stoppage of the nervous and respiratory systems, the extinction of mental reactions.

Medicine distinguishes the stages of dying:

It is impossible to determine exactly how long a person dies, since all processes are strictly individual, their duration depends on the cause of the termination of life. So, for some, these stages are completed within a few minutes, for others it takes long weeks and even months.

What does a corpse look like?

What happens to the body of the deceased in the first minutes and hours after death is familiar to people who have observed these changes. Appearance of the deceased and the transition from one state to another depend on the natural chemical reactions of the body, continuing even after the extinction of vital functions, as well as environmental conditions.

Drying

It is observed on previously moistened areas: mucous membranes of the lips, genitals, cornea, as well as places of wounds, abrasions and other skin lesions.

The higher the air temperature and the humidity surrounding the corpse, the faster the process. The cornea of the eye becomes cloudy, yellow-brown “Larcher spots” appear on the whites.

Cadaveric drying allows you to assess the presence of intravital injuries in the body.

Rigor

The decrease and subsequent complete disappearance of adenosine triphosphoric acid, a substance formed as a result of metabolic processes, is considered the main reason why the body of the deceased stiffens. When the internal organs cease to function, the metabolism fades, the concentration of various compounds decreases.

The body assumes a posture characterized by upper limbs half-bent at the elbows, and lower and semi-compressed hands at the hip and knee joints. Rigor mortis is recognized as an undeniable proof of death.

The active stage occurs 2-3 hours after biological death, ends after 48 hours. Processes are accelerated when exposed to high temperatures.

At this stage, there is a decrease in body temperature. How quickly the corpse cools depends on the environment - during the first 6 hours, the indicator decreases by 1 degree per hour, then - by a degree every 1.5-2 hours.

In the case of pregnancy of the deceased, "birth in a coffin" is possible, when the uterus pushes the fetus out.

cadaveric spots

They are ordinary hematomas or bruises, as they are clots of gore. When biological fluid stops flowing through the vessels, it settles in the nearby soft tissues. Under the influence of gravity, it descends to an area closer to the surface on which the body of the deceased or deceased lies.

Thanks to this physical feature, forensic scientists can determine how a person died, even if the dead body was moved to another place.

Smell

In the first minutes and hours after death, the only unpleasant odors that will come from the deceased may be the smells of involuntary bowel movements.

After a few days or hours, if the dead body has not been cooled, a characteristic cadaveric or putrefactive odor develops. Its reason lies in chemical processes - the decay of internal organs causes a lot of gases to accumulate in the body: ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and others, which create a characteristic "aroma".

Face changes

Loss of muscle tone and relaxation are the reasons for the disappearance of small wrinkles from the skin, deep ones are less pronounced.

The face takes on a neutral expression, similar to a mask - traces of pain and torment or joyful bliss disappear, the deceased looks calm, peaceful.

sexual arousal

Erection in men is a frequent occurrence in the first minutes after death. Its occurrence is explained by the law of gravity - blood tends to the lower parts of the body and does not return to the heart, its accumulation occurs in the soft tissues of the body, including the reproductive organ.

Bowel and bladder emptying

Natural biological processes arise due to the loss of tone in the muscles of the body. As a result, the sphincter and urethra are relaxed. It is clear that such a phenomenon requires one of the very first and obligatory rituals of the deceased - ablution.

The weight

In the course of many medical studies, it was possible to establish that the mass of a person changes immediately after death - the corpse weighs 21 grams less. There is no scientific explanation for this, therefore it is generally accepted that such is the weight of the soul of the deceased, which left the mortal body for eternal life.

How the body decomposes

The body continues to decompose for many years after death, but these stages mainly occur after the funeral and are not visible to ordinary people. However, thanks to medical research, all stages of decomposition are described in detail in specialized literature, which makes it possible to imagine what a decaying corpse looks like a month or years after death.

Like the stages of death, for each deceased, the processes of decomposition have individual characteristics and depend on the factors that led to the death.

Autolysis (Self Absorption)

Decomposition begins already in the first minutes after the soul leaves the body, but the process becomes noticeable only after a few hours. Moreover, the higher the ambient temperature and humidity in it, the faster these changes occur.

The first stage is drying. Thin layers of the epidermis are exposed to it: mucous membranes, eyeballs, fingertips and others. The skin of these areas turns yellow and thinner, then thickens and becomes like parchment paper.

The second stage is directly autolysis. It is characterized by the breakdown of cells of internal organs caused by the activation of their own enzymes. At this stage, the tissues become soft, liquid, which is why the expression "corpse drip" appeared.

The organs that produce these enzymes are the first to change, and therefore have the largest supply of them:

kidneys;
adrenal glands;
pancreas;
liver;
spleen;
organs of the digestive system.

It is difficult to predict how long the full cycle of autolysis will take. It depends:

on the temperature at which the corpse is stored - the lower it is, the longer the stage of digestion by the tissues of themselves takes;
on the amount of pathogenic microflora that is involved in the process of absorption of body cells.

rotting

This is a late post-mortem stage of decomposition, which occurs on average after three days and proceeds for quite a long time. It is from this moment that a specific putrid smell arises, and the body itself swells from the putrefactive gases that overwhelm it.

If the human remains were not buried, and the temperature surrounding them is high, the corpse rots quickly enough - after 3-4 months only a skeleton remains of it. Cold can slow down these processes, and freezing can stop them. The simple answer to the question of where such rotten masses go is they are absorbed into the soil, which subsequently makes it fertile.

Smoldering

Putrefactive processes are characteristic of the corpses in the grave, and proceed without the participation of oxygen. Remains that have to decompose on the surface of the earth undergo another biological process - smoldering. Moreover, such decomposition occurs faster, since there are fewer chemical compounds in the tissues and at the same time they are less toxic than those that fill the corpse rotting underground.

The reason for the differences is simple - under the influence of oxygen, water evaporates faster from the tissues and conditions arise for the growth of mold and the development of invertebrates, which literally “eat away” soft tissues, as a result of which the decomposed corpse becomes a clean skeleton.

Saponification

This process is typical for remains buried in soil with high humidity, in water, and in places where there is no access to oxygen. This leads to exfoliation of the skin (maceration), moisture penetrates the body and flushes out blood and a number of various substances from it, after which saponification of fats occurs. As a result of chemical reactions, special soaps are formed, which form the basis of the fat wax - a solid mass, at the same time similar to soap and cottage cheese.

Fat wax acts on the principle of a preservative: although such corpses do not have internal organs (they look more like a slimy, shapeless mass), the appearance of the body is preserved almost completely.

Traces of injuries and injuries that led to death are easily detected on it: opening of veins, gunshot wounds, strangulation and others. It is for this feature that saponification is appreciated by those who work in the bodies of forensic medical examination - pathologists and forensic scientists.

Mummification

At its core, it is the drying up of human remains. For the process to proceed correctly and fully, a dry environment, high temperature and good ventilation of the corpse are required.

At the end of mummification, which can last from several weeks in children to six months in adults, body height and weight decrease, soft tissues become dense and wrinkled (which indicates the absence of moisture in them), the skin becomes brown-brown.

The activities of living organisms

The body of each person inhabits several million microorganisms, the vital activity of which does not depend on whether he is alive or not. After the cessation of biological processes in the body, the immune defense also disappears, making it easier for fungi, bacteria and other flora to move through the internal organs.

Such activity allows the process of self-absorption to proceed faster, especially if environmental conditions are favorable for their growth.

Corpse Sounds

These phenomena are characteristic of the remains that have entered the stage of decay, as they arise as a result of the release of gases that fill the body, and those are formed under the influence of the activity of microorganisms.

In the first days after death, the sphincter and trachea usually become the pathways for the release of volatile substances, therefore the presence of wheezing, whistles and groans is characteristic of the deceased, which are the reason for creating terrible myths.

Bloating

Another phenomenon caused by the accumulation of volatile compounds and decaying internal organs. Since most gases accumulate in the intestines, it is the stomach that swells first, and after that the process spreads to the rest of the members.

The skin integuments lose color, become covered with blisters, and rotten insides in the form of a jelly-like liquid begin to leak from the natural openings of the body.

Hair and nails

There is an opinion that keratinized integuments continue to grow even after the completion of biological processes. And although it is erroneous, it is impossible to say that their length does not increase. The fact is that during drying - the very first stage of decomposition, the skin becomes noticeably thinner and the root of the hair or nail is pulled out, exposed, which creates a deceptive impression of growth.

Bones

Bone tissue is the strongest and least susceptible to destruction part of the human body. Bones do not decompose for many years, do not rot or decay - even the smallest and thinnest of them take centuries to turn into dust.

Skeletonization of a corpse in a coffin takes up to 30 years, in the ground it happens faster (in 2-4 years). Large and wide bones remain practically unchanged.

soil fertilization

In the process of decomposition, several thousand useful components, minerals, micro- and macroelements, chemical and biological compounds are released from the remains of living matter, which are absorbed into the soil and become an excellent fertilizer for it.

The process has a positive effect on the general ecological system of the region where the cemeteries are located, explains the custom of some ancient tribes to bury the dead on the edges of pastures and gardens.

What happens to the dead after death

If the physiological and biological components of death are described in some detail both in specialized medical literature and individuals those who are fond of the occult, who love corpses and are interested in their various states, then the question of the soul or vital energy, wandering mind, subsequent reincarnation and other phenomena has not been fully explored.

Not a single living person has found answers to the questions whether there is life after death, what a dying or already dead person feels, how real the other world is.

In any case, the body of the deceased must go through its own special ritual, and his soul is remembered by relatives and friends. For the first time, a commemoration is held after 9 days, or no later than after 10 days from the moment of death, again - on the 40th day and the third - on the anniversary of the death.

After 40 days

Analysis of the remains, including those from a hidden grave, can help determine the date of a person's death. For example, studies have shown that the maximum concentration of phospholipids in the fluid flowing from the body is observed 40 days after death, and nitrogen and phosphorus - after 72 and 100 days, respectively.

After 60 days, the corpse begins to crumble, if buried in moist soil, acquires a whitish-yellow color. The stay of the body in peat soil and swamp makes the skin dense and rough, the bones eventually become soft, resembling cartilaginous tissue.

According to Orthodox beliefs, in 40 days the soul of the deceased ends earthly ordeals and goes to the afterlife.

What it will be - the Supreme Court will decide, not the last argument on which will be the fact how the burial was carried out. So, before burying the coffin, a service is read over the deceased, during which all his earthly sins are forgiven.

In a year

At this time, the processes of decomposition of the body continue: the remaining soft tissues, exposing the skeleton. It is characteristic that a year after death, the cadaverous smell is no longer there. This means that the decay process is complete. The remnants of tissues smolder, releasing nitrogen and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

During this period, the presence of tendons, dry and dense parts of the body can still be observed. Next, a long process of mineralization (up to 30 years) will start, as a result of which bones that are not fastened together will remain from a person.

The year in Orthodoxy is marked by the final passage of the soul of the deceased to Heaven or Hell and the union with the deceased relatives and friends. It is the first anniversary that is considered the new birth of the soul for eternal life, so the commemoration is held surrounded by close relatives and all people dear to the deceased.

Burial methods

Each religion has its own canons and customs, according to which ceremonies are held to honor and commemorate the deceased on certain days, as well as features of the burial of the body.

So, in Christianity, it is customary to bury the dead in a coffin or immerse them in crypts, in Islam - to wrap them in a shroud and put them in damp earth, in Hinduism and Buddhism they burn the dead, because they believe that the soul is able to be reborn and return in a new body, and in Some Indian tribes still have the custom of eating the dead.

The list of methods is long, and quite unusual ones have recently been encountered: dissolving the body in special chemical compounds or hanging it in air for mummification. But two are the most popular in our country: burial in a coffin and cremation.

Few even believers know why dead people are buried in coffins. According to beliefs, the very concept of "dead" or "deceased" means asleep, resting, that is, one who temporarily rests in anticipation of the reappearance of Christ and the subsequent resurrection.

That is why the body of the deceased is placed in a coffin, which is designed to keep it until the Second Coming. The key features are the position of the pillow under the head and the placement in the ground facing east, since that is where the Savior will appear.

If we consider the burial process from the point of view of biology, the wooden box in which the deceased is placed is also considered a natural material, and when the coffin rots, additional fertilizer is formed that improves the ecosystem.

Cremation is the process of burning a body. It is popular because it has a number of advantages:

saving space, since the urn with ashes takes up less space than the coffin;
cremation costs less than conventional funerals;
if the urn with the ashes of the deceased is placed at home, then a place in the cemetery is not required.

The only caveat is that such dead people should not hope for the subsequent Resurrection and gaining Eternal life in Orthodoxy, since the church does not welcome and even condemns cremation.

Another actual question- after how many days the dead are buried. Here everything is individual and depends on the causes and circumstances of the death itself. If the law enforcement agencies have no questions about the onset of death, it is better to carry out the burial on the second day after death, since the processes of decay begin later, the corpse turns black or blue, covered with spots, smells bad.

If, for some reason, burial is temporarily impossible, the body should be placed in cold storage. Thus, the special temperature in the mortuary and the treatment of the corpse with appropriate chemicals will help keep it in optimal condition for a long time. Some relatives try to stop decomposition with dry ice or by placing the deceased in the cold, which can be done, but only if the funeral is delayed for 1-2 days.

In some cases, most often requiring additional forensic research or reburial, the corpse is exhumed.

The removal of the body is usually done with special permission and compliance Orthodox customs and canons. Exhumed bodies are very quickly redirected to the morgue or to a subsequent burial site.

What is indeterminate in the human world? Taxes, economy, credit system, ? Yes, this is always difficult to understand, but none of this list can overcome death by the criterion of uncertainty and mystery. And if we talk about our interaction with society, then we rarely have direct contact with death. Accidents, hospices and hospitals. We prefer not to notice this integral side of human life. But then the "old woman with a scythe" rapidly turns in our direction, and there is no time for reflection.

There is a healthy interest in death in many cultures. In the period of the 19th century, with the development of natural philosophy, anatomy and decadent literature, this interest was also characteristic of European culture. But now we have become more sensitive, more closed, and those guys who look at corpses with interest, perhaps, are unfairly called creepy perverts, sick in the head. But each of us is destined to touch death, whether we like it or not.

1. Stages of death

Let's start with the basics, which will be guiding stars for you in the world of decay and decay (it sounds strange somehow).

clinical death

Your vital functions go to waste, your heartbeat and breathing stop. The activity of the brain is actually still active, because some people think that clinical death is a kind of boundary between life and death. Actually, there is a possibility that you will be brought back to life if you are reanimated properly.

biological death

The embalming liquid consists of formaldehyde, methanol and a couple of other components. It usually contains water, but the most effective and expensive embalming methods are waterless. They keep the body much better. The composition of the liquid may contain various dyes, so that instead of deathly pallor, we see a healthy blush. So it is always matched to the color of the skin.

The principle of operation is simple. A small incision is made in the neck, armpit, or groin to access the carotid, brachial, and femoral arteries. The embalming fluid is pumped into the machine and swapped with blood. This process takes about an hour. While all this is going on, the corpse is given a wonderful massage in order to break up any blood clots and speed up the process. The fluid is then drained from the main cavity in the body and replaced with another to slow decomposition. Depending on the religion, the outer shell is washed by the undertaker, Sikh, family, or imam.

6 Embalming #2: A Helping Hand

We love our dead. We even say: “About the dead, it’s either good or nothing.” And when preparing the body for "leaving" we prepare it more thoroughly than when preparing ourselves for the first job interview.

The nose and mouth have to be filled with cotton wool to avoid moisture seepage. Also, the mouth is sewn or sealed. If there are any wounds on the skin, then the body is wrapped in plastic, and only then in a suit. Small plastic cups are inserted under the eyelids to prevent the possibility of open or hollow eyes. In addition, the latter is done in order to avoid the "cry of the dead." And this is not only creepy, but also sad for the family. In general, everything is done in order to maintain the illusion of "normality", the familiar appearance of a person.

7. Decomposition #1: Self-digestion

No matter how much embalming fluid you pour into a dead body, it will still begin to decompose, especially if the death happened in the fresh air. Decomposition begins within minutes of death. After the blood stops flowing through the body, oxygen starvation makes itself felt. Enzymes begin to digest cell membranes. This in the meantime causes discoloration.

Next comes rigor mortis, nucleic acids break down proteins in muscle fibers. As soon as the muscles begin to break down more intensively, rigor mortis disappears and the body becomes elastic again. The trillions of bacteria living in the human body throughout life will be free again. Cell membranes begin to degrade, starting their own decomposition process.

8 Decay #2: Rotting

The next stage of decomposition, when the bacteria are slightly carried away.
The initial stage of self-digestion forms a lot of sugars, salts, liquids and anaerobic bacteria that have recently been released from prison-intestines. In general, bacteria feed on, ferment sugars, and form all sorts of impure gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. As the bacteria begin to break down the hemoglobin in the blood, they turn the skin into a mottled dark green color.

All these gas generating processes cause the body to inflate like a balloon of horror. This is called "bombing". As a result, the pressure in the body will accumulate, and gases and liquids will begin to flow out of each hole (each, yes). But it can “fortune” and then the whole thing will explode. It is at these moments that the skin begins to loosen, and black spots appear on the body.

9 Decay #3: Colonization

At some point, the body becomes simply irresistible to any creature that is looking for the perfect place to lay its eggs. Flies lay hundreds of eggs that hatch into hundreds of maggots. The giant, writhing mass of larvae can raise body temperature by 10 degrees Celsius. And this means that the larvae have to constantly change their place of deployment so as not to boil in the body.

Subsequently, they grow into flies, and those, in turn, lay eggs again. This process is repeated until all the flesh and skin is used up. However, the larvae will attract their own antagonists, all kinds of predators such as birds, ants, wasps and spiders. An entire ecosystem is created around the decaying body. Larger scavengers, of course, can stop all this disgrace in a couple of hours, for example, if we are talking about a flock of vultures.

You should also remember about the skull of a corpse, which is saturated with nitrogen. It is so rich in it that it kills surrounding plants nearby. But after a while, the soil becomes, on the contrary, extremely fertile, which helps the growth of fungi, plants, and the like.

In the end, all human energy returns to nature, to where it found its birth. It's even beautiful if you can bear the image of horribly rotting corpses.

10. Burial

However, in most cases, we do not leave the body in the street. We come up with bizarre religious buildings for them, ways of burial.

When you cremate a body, you think you are making life easier for yourself. But this is easier said than done. Because the body burns at an incredibly high temperature, over 1000 degrees Celsius. It would take you about 90 minutes to burn a normal-sized person, and if we are talking about a person with large quantity fat deposits, this procedure will take several hours. The ashes are then crushed to get rid of large bone fragments and any metal implants.

What type of soil to choose? It directly depends on how you decompose. Heavy clay soils will help protect against oxygen, which means slowing down the decomposition process. Loose soils, on the contrary, will speed up this process. It usually takes 10-15 years.

In very hot, dry conditions, bacteria cannot destroy body tissues, they simply dehydrate them. When the ancient Egyptians buried their dead in the hot desert sand, the bodies were preserved much more efficiently than in the cold darkness of the pyramid tombs. That is why, as many believe, embalming was invented.

Ultimately, all organs are destroyed, decomposed and return their energy to nature. You borrowed all this from her initially, and therefore you have no other choice.

Incredible Facts

Many functions of our body continue to operate for minutes, hours, days and even weeks after death. It's hard to believe, but incredible things happen to our body.

If you are ready for some hard-hitting details, then this information is for you.

1. Growth of nails and hair

This is more of a technical rather than an actual feature. The body no longer produces hair and nail tissue, but both continue to grow for several days after death. In fact, the skin loses moisture and pulls back slightly, which exposes more hair and makes nails appear longer. Since we measure the length of hair and nails from the point where the hairs emerge from the skin, technically they "grow" after death.

One of side effects modern technology is the obliteration of time between life and death. The brain may completely shut down, but the heart will beat. If the heart stops for a minute and there is no breathing, then the person dies, and doctors declare the person dead, even when the brain is technically still alive for a few minutes. The brain cells during this time are trying to find oxygen and nutrients to sustain life to such an extent that most often this leads to irreparable damage, even if the heart is forced to beat again. These minutes before complete damage can be extended with the help of certain drugs and under the right circumstances, up to several days. Ideally, this would give doctors a chance to save you, but this is not guaranteed.

3. Growth of skin cells

This is another function of different parts of our body, which fades at different rates. While loss of blood circulation can kill the brain in minutes, other cells don't need a constant supply. The skin cells that live on the outer shell of our bodies are used to getting what they can through a process called osmosis and can live for days.

We believe that urination is an arbitrary function, although the absence of such is not a conscious action. In principle, we do not have to think about it, since a certain part of the brain is responsible for this function. The same area is involved in the regulation of breathing and heart rate, which explains why people often involuntarily urinate if they get drunk. The fact is that the part of the brain that keeps the urinary sphincter closed is suppressed, and a very large amount of alcohol can turn off the regulation of respiratory and heart functions, and therefore alcohol can be really dangerous.

Although rigor mortis stiffens the muscles, this does not happen until several hours after death. Immediately after death, the muscles relax, which causes urination.

5. Defecation

We all know that during times of stress, our body gets rid of waste products. Some muscles just relax, and an awkward situation occurs. But in the event of death, all this is also facilitated by the gas that is released inside the body. This can happen several hours after death. Given that the fetus in the womb also performs the act of defecation, we can say that this is the first and last thing that we do in our lives.

When the heart stops pumping blood throughout the body, blood pools at its lowest point. Sometimes people die standing, sometimes lying face down, and therefore many people understand where blood can collect. Meanwhile, not all the muscles in our body relax. Some types of muscle cells are activated by calcium ions. Once activated, cells expend energy by extracting calcium ions. After death, our membranes become more permeable to calcium and the cells do not expend so much energy to push out the ions and the muscles contract. This leads to rigor mortis and even ejaculation.

Although the brain may die, other areas of the nervous system may be active. Nurses have repeatedly noticed the action of reflexes, in which the nerves sent a signal to the spinal cord, and not the brain, which led to muscle twitches and spasms after death. There is even evidence of small breast movements after death.

9. Vocalization

Basically, our body is filled with gas and mucus backed up by our bones. Putrefaction occurs when bacteria begin to act, and the proportion of gases increases. Since most of the bacteria is inside our body, the gas accumulates inside.

Rigor mortis leads to stiffness of many muscles, including those that work on vocal cords, and the whole combination can lead to eerie sounds coming from a dead body. So there is evidence of how people heard the groans and creaks of dead people.

10. Having a baby

These creepy scenes don't even want to imagine, but there were times when women died during pregnancy and were not buried, which led to the emergence of a term called "posthumous expulsion of the fetus." The gases accumulating inside the body, combined with the softening of the flesh, lead to the expulsion of the fetus.

Although such cases are very rare and generate much speculation, they have been documented in the period before proper embalming and rapid burial. It all seems like a description from a horror movie, but such things really happen, and it makes us once again glad that we live in a modern world.

This state is described as - Vocalization. When soft tissues break down, gas is released, and to begin with, it will occupy all the cavities in the body. When putrefaction has just begun, the gas from the inside comes out through the physiological openings. In some cases, corpses dry out or undergo chemical changes that cause partial, temporary, or complete preservation.

If you look at the body in the coffin in a year, you will see some remnants of soft tissues, still decomposing under the influence of microflora, but the process of decay itself is completed by this moment. When the decay process comes to an end, only bones remain from the corpse, and everything else turns into a mushy mass and eventually disappears altogether. It is worth noting that everything that stands out at this stage absorbs the soil. Thanks to this, she becomes unusually fertile. Immunity is turned off shortly after death - and microbes and microorganisms colonize all tissues and organs. They feed on cadaveric fluids and provoke the further development of decay.

If you look at the body in the coffin in a year, you will see some remnants of soft tissues, still decomposing under the influence of microflora, but the process of decay itself is completed by this moment. Surprisingly, under the influence of microorganisms, the tissues of the deceased turn into gases, salts and various substances. The body changes its color from red to green as the red blood cells begin to decompose. Hair and nails are separated from the body with little or no effort.

Corpse wax is a fatty substance that is sometimes formed during the decomposition of corpses. In humid, sweltering conditions, cadaveric wax can completely cover a dead body with a fragile shell. Such troupes practically do not decompose, and can cause many problems for the owners of cemeteries. But they are a valuable material for archaeologists and forensic experts.

What happens to the body in the coffin at this stage begins with the hydrolysis of proteins by microbial proteases and dead cells of the body. It is as a result of their subsequent transformation that a putrid smell arises. At this stage, the process can be accelerated by the growth of mold on the corpse, its settlement with maggots and nematodes. They mechanically destroy tissues, thereby accelerating their decay. This process usually begins in the enzyme-rich liver and in the brain, which contains a lot of water. Gradually, all other tissues and organs also begin to disintegrate in a similar way. This provokes rigor mortis due to the release of calcium from the interstitial fluid and its combination with troponin.

During this process, the body becomes even more discolored. Damaged blood cells continue to leak out of the disintegrating vessels, and anaerobic bacteria convert hemoglobin molecules (which carry oxygen around the body) into sulfhemoglobin. The presence of its molecules in stagnant blood gives the skin a marbled, greenish-black appearance, characteristic of a corpse in the stage of active decay. Over time, the bones become soft and resemble cartilage in their consistency. By the way, peat tanning can also occur due to the influence of certain factors.

This is explained not only by ancient customs, but also by simple biology. If the body is not given to the earth for 5-7 days, this will have to be done already in a coffin boarded up with a lid, because processes such as autolysis and decay come into force.

It is worth noting that some bacteria can only be in the body at a certain stage of decomposition and putrefaction. Surprisingly, under the influence of microorganisms, the tissues of the deceased turn into gases, salts and various substances. The miasma emitted by a decaying corpse is believed to pollute the earth and air. Planting trees in the cemetery was supposed to reduce the amount of toxic fumes in the air.

The tissues and fluids inside the body change color and texture, and separate from the bones over time. Although putrefaction is a natural process, decomposition produces odors that cause general disgust and fear of infection. Disintegration time depends on internal factors such as weight, embalming procedures, and external conditions such as exposure to moisture and oxygen.

However, sometimes instead of decay under the influence of internal and external factors, the process of mummification occurs, when the body dries up and mummifies in very dry earth, retaining its outer shell. With regard to putrefaction of a dead body, it begins on the third day after death. But, the main role here is played by the temperature in which the dead body is located. The higher the temperature, the faster the body decomposes. However, instead of decay, smoldering can begin - in cases where there is not enough moisture for the first and too much oxygen. As a rule, there are two ways left - the corpse either mummifies - dries up so much that it cannot decompose normally, or saponifies - a fat wax is formed.

How does a person decompose in a coffin?

In our article, you can find out what happens to the body in the coffin after exposure to the larvae. Conventionally, we can distinguish two processes that occur with the body after death: mummification and decay.

The body decomposes most rapidly in the first six months after burial. And in the coffin, and in the same shroud, the bodies always become food for worms. Dead butterfly on a living flower.

Many torment themselves with the thought of what happens in the coffin with the body. Decomposition, depending on many factors, can proceed in completely different ways. The corpses are put away because they are unpleasant to the senses, and also because they become useless. The smell of human remains is more repulsive than any other sensory experience. Those who work in the emergency room, like pathologists, are well acquainted with the smells of death and classify the dead into three categories: fresh, mature and overripe.

Skeletonization is one of milestones decomposition, in which only the skeleton remains in the coffin. After a few hours, the corpse begins to release substances, including various gases. In the event that the coffin was not buried, but was placed in a crypt, it may explode. Many cases have been recorded when relatives came to visit the deceased, and he detonated.

Everything that happens to the body of a dead person in a coffin underground is classified into stages, which are generally considered as decomposition. Decay begins immediately after death.

Not everyone knows what happens to a person in a coffin. With the body, as we said earlier, after some time after burial, various changes begin to occur. In such a situation, organic processes will be somewhat different, proceeding differently than during the burial of ordinary remains. On the other hand, usually the ashes of a cremated person are preserved in very different ways. But what happens to the deceased in the coffin next?

Decomposition of a corpse - all stages.

Judging by the results of excavations of graves carried out for scientific purposes at various times after the burial of the corpses, the decomposition of the latter in the ground has at first the character of decay. First, the stomach, intestines, spleen, and liver are putrefied; much later - the heart, kidneys, lungs. The most intensive process of decomposition of the corpse coincides, therefore, with the first half of the first year after burial.

The location in the body of certain soil elements or certain microorganisms allows forensic scientists to find out where a person died or was killed. They also argue that in the near future it is the bacterial set of the corpse that can become a new “weapon” for solving many crimes. Under the influence of such processes and the decomposition itself, the patches of integument are gradually separated from the body, and the results of the processes leave what was previously a living organism. Depending on environmental conditions, the skin either decomposes or dries out.

Fourthly, the transformation of a corpse into fat wax is also called saponification, or saponification, and is found in the burials of many northern cities standing on swampy soil, for example, St. Petersburg. If the body all this time was in the bosom of nature, then predators most likely have already eaten its bones. Vultures, raccoons, wolves and other carrion lovers are unlikely to have left anything that could shed light on both the identity of the deceased and the circumstances of his death.

First, the pressure of gaseous masses builds up in the body, which leads to the formation of blisters on the skin - the air tries to escape into the free external space. Under the influence of such processes and the decomposition itself, the patches of integument are gradually separated from the body, and the results of the processes leave what was previously a living organism. There are cases when increased pressure led to a small explosion inside the body of a deceased person.

The location in the body of certain soil elements or certain microorganisms allows forensic scientists to find out where a person died or was killed. However, shortly after death, the immune system ceases to function, and thus nothing prevents it from spreading freely throughout the body. Usually this process begins in the intestines, at the border of the small and large intestines.

As it turned out, in vivo obesity contributes especially to the saponification of a corpse, since preservatives readily linger in fat, accumulating in significant concentrations. Avoid products containing such additives within six months after suffering hepatitis. It can cause dysbiosis. Internal organs, such as the brain and adrenal medulla, spleen, pancreas, undergo autolysis most quickly, as they contain the largest amount of cathepsin.

How quickly do buried corpses decompose? Coffins slow down the process?

The biomass of microbes on the island of decomposition of the corpse is significantly higher than in the surrounding area. roundworms, attracted by the released nutrients, begin to multiply in this area, and its flora also becomes richer. Further research on exactly how rotting cadavers change the ecology around them may help to more effectively locate murder victims whose bodies were buried in shallow graves. And especially rare, metal coffins are quietly stored in the ground for decades.

This is due to the protective reactions of the body: it has long been known that decomposed bodies are dangerous, can become a source of infection, provoke epidemics of terrible diseases. On a subconscious level, humanity as a species has developed a defense against such a threat in the form of aversion to the process of decomposition. History shows us that the eventual disappearance of many civilizations was foreshadowed by an increase in indifference to caring for their dead.

The reason is in food preservatives, which are found in large quantities in food. Carbonated drinks, sweets and all fast food products are especially rich in them. Mummification occurs due to the fact that preservatives that enter the human body with food accumulate throughout life and subsequently inhibit the process of decay.

rotting corpse (putrification of the corpse, p utrefactio Mortis ) - decomposition organic matter corpse under the action of enzyme systems of microorganisms with the formation of final inorganic products.
Typical products of decay are water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, volatile fatty acids (formic, acetic, butyric, valeric and caproic, as well as isomers of the last three acids), phenol, cresol, indole, skatole, amines, trimethylamine, aldehydes, alcohols , purine bases, etc. Some of these substances arise in the process of decay, others are contained in the corpse, but during decay their number increases many times over. A sufficiently large number of various aerobic, facultative anaerobic and anaerobic spore-forming and non-spore-forming bacteria are involved in decay.

At a storage temperature of about 0 ° C, decay is mainly due to the vital activity of psychrophilic bacteria, most often of the Pseudomonas genus. At elevated storage temperatures, rotting of proteins is caused mainly by mesophilic putrefactive microorganisms: non-spore-forming bacteria - the common Proteus bacillus (Proteus vulgaris), the miraculous stick (Serratia marcescens), hay stick (Bac. subtilis), potato stick (Bac. mesentericus), mushroom stick (Bac . mycoides) and other aerobic bacilli; anaerobic clostridia - sporogenes stick (Cl. sporogenes), putrificus stick (Cl. putrificus) and perfringens stick (Cl. perfringens). Mold fungi can also participate in the processes of decay.

In most cases, the species composition of the bacterial flora that develops during decay in corpses depends on the nature of the bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract of the deceased.

Putrification of a corpse is a sequential multi-stage process, each stage of which proceeds with the formation of a certain number of decomposition products, which are subjected to further successive transformations.

The staging of the processes of decay is due to the unequal enzymatic activity of the putrefactive microflora in relation to various substances. Proteins that are in a dissolved state, such as blood proteins and liquor proteins, are more easily amenable to the action of microorganisms. The transformation of protein breakdown products occurs through intermediate substances with the formation of final, foul-smelling decay products. Various microorganisms can participate in the putrefactive decay of a corpse both simultaneously and sequentially: first of all, those that are capable of destroying a protein molecule, and then microbes that assimilate the products of protein decay.

In total, as a result of the putrification of corpses, about 1300 different compounds can be formed in stages, whose chemical composition depends on the time of decomposition of cadaveric material, temperature, the presence of moisture, air access, bacterial flora, the composition of organs and tissues undergoing decomposition, as well as on a number of other factors.

One of the initial putrefactive breakdown products of proteins are peptones (peptide mixtures), which can cause poisoning when administered parenterally. Peptides decompose with the formation of mercaptants (thioalcohols and thiophenols), as well as amino acids. The free amino acids formed during the hydrolysis of peptones undergo deamination, oxidative or reductive decarboxylation. During deamination of amino acids, volatile fatty acids (caproic, isocaproic, etc.) are formed, and during decarboxylation, various toxic organic bases - amines. Amino acids containing sulfur decompose with the release of methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur compounds.

Aerobes - B. proteus, B. pyocyaneum, B. mesentericus, B. subtilis, streptococci and staphylococci have the greatest activity on proteins; anaerobes - Cl. putrificus, Cl. histolyticus, Cl. perfringens, Cl. Sporogenes, B. bifidus, acidofilus, B. butyricus ... Amino acids break down aerobes - B. faecalis alcaligenes, B. lactis aerogenes, B. aminoliticus, E. coli, etc.

When rotting lipoproteins, first of all, the lipid part is split off from them. An integral part of the lecithin contained in the muscles, as well as in the brain and spinal cord, is choline, which in the process of putrefaction turns into trimethylamine, dimethylamine and methylamine. Trimethylamine, when oxidized, forms trimethylamine oxide, which has a fishy odor. In addition, the poisonous substance neurin can be formed from choline during the decay of a corpse.

During the putrefactive decomposition of carbohydrates, organic acids, their decarboxylation products, aldehydes, ketones, lactones, and carbon monoxide are formed.

During decay, nucleoproteins decompose into protein and nucleic acid, which then decomposes into its constituent parts, resulting in the formation of hypoxanthine and xanthine - decomposition products of nucleoproteins.

Biogenic diamines, formed as a result of partial decomposition of proteins and decarboxylation of their amino acids and having a toxic effect, were collectively called "cadaveric poison". Organic bases (ethylenediamine, cadaverine, putrescine, skatole, indole, ethylenediamine, etc.) formed during protein decay are also called the term ptomaine (from the Greek - Πτώμα, meaning a dead body, a corpse).

The main toxic substances of them are putrescine and cadaverine, as well as spermidine and spermine. Putrescine, 1,4 - tetramethylenediamine, H 2 N(CH 2) 4 NH 2 ; belongs to the group of biogenic amines. Crystalline substance with an extremely unpleasant odor, t pl 27-28 ° C. It was first discovered in the putrefactive decay products of proteins. Formed by decarboxylation of the amino acid ornithine by bacteria. In body tissues, putrescine is the initial compound for the synthesis of two physiologically active polyamines, spermidine and spermine. These substances, along with putrescine, cadaverine, and other diamines, are part of ribosomes, participating in the maintenance of their structure.

Cadaverine (from Latin cadaver - corpse), α, ε-pentamethylenediamine - a chemical compound having the formula NH 2 (CH 2) 5 NH 2. It got its name because of its very strong putrid smell. It is a colorless liquid with a density of 0.870 g/cm3 and bp t 178-179 °C. Cadaverine is easily soluble in water and alcohol, gives well-crystallized salts. Freezes at +9 °C. Contained in the products of the putrefactive decay of proteins; formed from lysine during its enzymatic decarboxylation. Found in plants. Artificially, cadaverine can be obtained from trimethylene cyanide.

Spermine is a chemical in the class of aliphatic polyamines. Participates in cellular metabolism, found in all eukaryotic cells, in living organisms is formed from spermidine. Spermine was first isolated in 1678 from human sperm by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek as a crystalline salt (phosphate). The name "spermine" was first used by the German chemists Ladenburg and Abel in 1888. Currently, spermine is found in various tissues of a large number of organisms, and is a growth factor in some bacteria. At physiological pH, it exists as a polycation.

It should be noted that the toxicity of chemically pure ptomaines is low compared to the action of directly cadaveric material. In experiments on rats, the toxic dose of cadaverine is 2000 mg/kg, putrescine - 2000 mg/kg, spermidine and spermine - 600 mg/kg.

Therefore, the poisonous properties of cadaveric material are explained by the action of certain impurities (bacterial toxins and a number of synthesis products formed in cadaveric material under the influence of bacterial enzymes) contained, along with polyamines, in putrefactive biological material.

Decay can occur both with the access of oxygen to the tissues of the corpse (aerobic decay) and in its absence (anaerobic decay). As a rule, aerobic and anaerobic types of decay develop simultaneously, one can only talk about the predominance of one or another process.

Under aerobic conditions, protein breakdown proceeds mainly with the participation of aerobic microorganisms (B. proteus vulgaris, B. subtilis, B. mesentericus, B. pyocyaneum, B. coli, Sarcina flava, Streptococcus pyogenes, etc.) and the formation of many intermediate and final decay products. Aerobic decay proceeds relatively quickly, is not accompanied by the release of a large amount of liquid and gases with a specific fetid odor. Rotting under the action of aerobic microorganisms with good access to oxygen occurs with more complete oxidation. At the same time, aerobes eagerly absorb oxygen and thereby contribute to the development of anaerobes.

Under anaerobic conditions, less decay products are formed, but they are more toxic. Anaerobic microorganisms (B. putrificus, B. perfringens and others) cause relatively slow decay, in which the oxidation and decomposition of biological compounds is not complete enough, which is accompanied by the release of a large amount of liquid and gases with a fetid odor.

In addition to biochemical stages, the staging of corpse decay is also characterized by morphological, relatively constant periods of development.

Under standard conditions, rotting begins within 3-4 hours after death, and on initial stage flows unnoticed. The bacterial putrefactive flora in the large intestine is activated, which leads to the formation of a large amount of gases and their accumulation in the intestines and abdomen. Bloating of the intestines, an increase in the volume of the abdomen and some tension in the anterior abdominal wall can be noted by palpation already 6-12 hours after the death of a person.

The resulting putrefactive gases, which include hydrogen sulfide, penetrate the walls of the intestine and begin to spread through the blood vessels. Combining with blood hemoglobin and muscle myoglobin, hydrogen sulfide forms compounds - sulfhemoglobin and sulfmyoglobin, giving a dirty green color to internal organs and skin.

The first external signs of decay become noticeable on the anterior abdominal wall by the end of the 2nd to the beginning of the third day after death. A dirty green coloration of the skin appears, appearing first in the right iliac region, and then in the left. This is due to the fact that the large intestine is directly adjacent to the anterior abdominal wall in the iliac regions. In summer or in warm conditions, a dirty green color of the skin in the iliac regions may appear a day earlier.

Rice. "Corpse greens". Dirty green discoloration of the skin in the iliac regions

Since blood proteins are easily putrefied, putrification quickly spreads through the blood vessels to other areas of the body. The rotting of the blood further enhances its hemolysis and increases the amount of sulfhemoglobin, which leads to the appearance on the skin of a branched dirty brown or dirty green venous pattern - subcutaneous putrefactive venous network. Distinctly distinguishable signs of a putrefactive venous network are noted as early as 3-4 days after death.

Rice. Putrid venous network

On the 4th - 5th day, the entire anterior skin of the abdominal wall and genital organs acquire a uniform dirty green tint, cadaveric greens develop.

By the end of the 1st - the beginning of the 2nd week, dirty green coloring covers a significant part of the surface of the corpse.
At the same time, as a result of the binding of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) formed during decay with iron released due to hemolysis of erythrocytes and the breakdown of hemoglobin, iron sulfide (FeS) is formed, giving a black color to soft tissues and parenchyma of internal organs.

Staining cadaver tissue black (cadaveric pseudomelanosis, pseud ome l anosis) occurs unevenly and is most clearly seen in those places where the greatest accumulation of blood is noted - in the area of cadaveric spots and hypostases.

The noted order of development of putrefactive manifestations during external examination is observed in most cases, however, there may be exceptions. For example, upon death from mechanical asphyxia, cadaveric greens initially appear not in the iliac regions, but on the head and chest. This is due to the fact that the stagnation of blood formed during asphyxia in the upper part of the body contributes to the development of putrefaction in these areas of the body.

In the process of decay, a variety of coccal and rod flora begin to develop on the surface of the corpse, as a result of which its skin becomes mucilaginous. The corpse is covered with shiny mucus, or semi-dry grease, similar to yellow-red or brown fat.

In cases where the corpse is in conditions of low temperatures and low humidity, mold growth can be observed on the surface of the corpse. Unlike putrefactive microorganisms, molds can develop in an acidic environment (pH 5.0-6.0), with relatively low air humidity (75%) and low temperatures. Some types of molds grow at a temperature of 1-2 ° C, while others at minus 8 ° C and even lower.

Molds develop rather slowly, so the molding of the corpse mainly occurs when it is kept for a long time in the conditions noted above or in the refrigerator. Mold fungi are aerobic microorganisms and, as a rule, develop most actively in those areas of the corpse, on the surface of which air movement is most intense, as well as in more humid areas (inguinal and axillary folds, etc.).

Depending on the species, the mold can grow in the form of round, velvety colonies of white, dark gray-brown or greenish-bluish, as well as black, located on the surface of the skin or penetrating into the thickness of soft tissues to a depth of 1.0 cm. corpse is relatively rare, since psychrophilic aerobic bacteria actively multiplying on the surface of a corpse usually inhibit the growth of mold fungi.

If the corpse has been in sea water for some time, or near fresh seafood, a faint glow of the surface of the corpse may be observed. This phenomenon is quite rare and is due to the reproduction on the surface of the body of photogenic (luminous) bacteria that have the ability to glow - phosphorescence. The glow is due to the presence in the cells of luminous bacteria of a photogenic substance (luciferin), which is oxidized by oxygen with the participation of the luciferase enzyme.

Photogenic bacteria are obligate aerobes and have psychrophilicity; they multiply well, but do not cause changes in the smell, texture, and other indicators of the corpse. The group of photobacteria includes various non-spore-forming gram-negative and gram-positive rods, cocci and vibrios. A typical representative of photogenic bacteria is the photobacterium phosphoreum (Photobact. phosphoreum) - a mobile coccus-like bacillus.

As putrification develops, putrefactive gases are formed not only in the intestines, but also in the soft tissues and internal organs of the corpse.

On the 3-4th day of the development of decay, crepitus is clearly felt on palpation of the skin and muscles, an increase in the accumulation of putrefactive gases in the subcutaneous fat and in other tissues is noted - cadaveric emphysema develops. First of all, putrefactive gases appear in adipose tissue, then in the muscles.

By the end of the second week, cadaveric gigantism develops - the penetration of gases into soft tissues leads to an increase in the volume of the corpse. In a corpse, parts of the body sharply increase in size: the abdomen, chest, limbs, neck, in men the scrotum and penis, in women the mammary glands.

With putrefactive changes in the subcutaneous fat, facial features change dramatically: it becomes dark green or purple, swollen, the eyelids swell, the eyeballs protrude from the orbits, the lips increase in size and turn outward, the tongue is enlarged in size protrudes from behind the mouth. Dirty red sanious fluid is discharged from the mouth and nose.

Rice. "Corpse Gigantism". An increase in the size of the corpse due to the development of putrefactive emphysema

The pressure of putrefactive gases in the abdominal cavity can be quite significant and reach 1-2 atm, which leads to the development "posthumous birth" (grave birth, partus post mortem ) - extrusion of the fetus through the birth canal from the uterus of the corpse of a pregnant woman with gases formed in the abdominal cavity during the decay of the corpse. As a result of the accumulation of putrefactive gases in the abdominal cavity, there may also be an eversion outward from the genital tract of the uterus and the release of gastric contents from the oral cavity ( "postmortem vomiting" ).

Further increased pressure of putrefactive gases in the abdominal cavity and the gradually decreasing strength of the tissues of the anterior abdominal wall as decay develops lead to its rupture and eventration of the contents of the abdominal cavity.

Due to the extravasation of fluid, by the end of the 1st week, putrefactive blisters are formed under the epidermis, containing a reddish-brown, fetid, bloody fluid. Putrefactive blisters are easily torn, the epidermis is torn away, exposing the moist, reddish surface of the skin itself. Such manifestations of decay mimic skin burns. Putrefactive changes in the skin cause hair loss or slight rejection.
On days 6-10, the epidermis completely exfoliates and, with a slight mechanical impact, can be easily removed along with nails and hair.

Rice. Putrid rejection of the skin and nail plates

In the future, through the damaged areas of the skin, putrefactive gases exit the corpse. The size of the corpse and its parts are reduced. There is a softening of nails, skin and their further separation. The skin becomes yellowish, easily torn, covered with papillae, which look like grains of sand and consist of lime phosphate.

Two weeks later, a reddish putrefactive liquid (ichorus) begins to stand out from the natural openings of the corpse, which should not be mistaken for traces of intravital bleeding.

In the future, the skin of the corpse becomes thinner, becomes thin, dirty yellow or orange with mold.

In the third week, the decomposition of the corpse intensifies. The tissues become more and more slimy, easily torn. The soft parts of the face collapse. The muscles are soft, the fiber begins to dry out (drying begins in front and from the sides). The muscles of the eye sockets are saponified or become green.

As putrefactive decay progresses, the formation of putrefactive gases stops, cadaveric emphysema disappears, and the volume of the corpse decreases. The processes of putrification soften, disorganize tissues - the so-called putrefactive melting of the corpse occurs.

The subcutaneous tissue is partially saponified, as a result of drying and subsidence of cells stretched earlier by putrefactive gases, it has a “squashed” appearance on the cut. Cartilage and ligaments turn yellow, become flabby and easily stretchable. Muscles become flabby and sticky, easily torn with slight stretching, transforming as they are putrified into a structureless brown-black mass or layers of gray-yellow color with indistinguishable muscle fibers. Bones, especially in those places where they are covered with a small amount of soft tissue, are exposed, the ribs are easily separated from the cartilage.

The decay of internal organs proceeds unevenly. Starting from the intestines and abdomen, it first of all captures the nearby organs of the abdominal cavity (liver, pancreas and spleen). The macroscopic structure of the internal organs is completely lost as it rots. The internal organs decrease in volume, crepitate on palpation, easily flatten, tear. Putrid gases destroy the structure of the parenchyma, the organs on the cut acquire a “foamy”, “porous” appearance, the removed pieces of organs float on the surface of the water due to putrefactive gases.

The peritoneum mucus becomes green. The mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines become brownish-purple, sometimes with small discolored areas. In some cases, there is perforation of the fundus of the stomach with the outflow of gastric contents into the abdominal cavity or into the left pleural cavity. However, this phenomenon is not a consequence of decay, but occurs as a result of cadaveric autolysis. The putrefactive process in the lungs is accompanied by the appearance of gas bubbles in the vessels, in the interstitial tissue and under the pleura.

The lungs are dark red in color and loose in consistency, filled with sanious fluid. Gradually, as it rots, most of the ichor accumulates in the pleural cavities.

Lymph nodes during decay are soft, can be of different colors: brown-red, greenish, dark brown, black.

The heart is flabby, the walls of the chambers are thinned, the myocardium is dirty red in section. On the surface of the endocardium and pericardium, small white granules of calcareous deposits are noted. The pericardium is macerated, the pericardial fluid is turbid, with a flocculent sediment. With cadaveric hemolysis with tissue imbibition by the blood pigment, the pericardial fluid from the admixture of hemoglobin can become brownish-red.

The liver in the process of decay softens, fades, emits a strong ammonia smell. Initially, the lower surface of the liver, and then both the anterior and posterior, become black. On the surface of the liver visible "sandy" papillae of lime phosphate. In the thickness of the parenchyma, multiple vesicles are formed, filled with putrefactive gases, which gives the liver tissue a honeycomb, foamy appearance on the cut. The outflow and release of bile outside the gallbladder during decay leads to the appearance of a yellow-green staining of the lower edge of the liver and adjacent tissues and organs.

The pancreas undergoes early decay, during which it becomes flabby, with an indistinguishable structure, in the form of a gray mass.

The spleen decreases in size, flabby, the pulp of the spleen turns into a red-black or greenish-black, semi-liquid, sometimes foamy, from the presence of gases, a fetid mass.

Due to the topographic proximity of the spleen to the large intestine, hydrogen sulfide easily penetrates into it from the intestine already in the first days after death, which, combining with hemoglobin iron, forms iron sulfide, which first stains the part of the spleen adjacent to the intestine, and later the entire organ in greenish-black or bluish -black color.

The brain completely loses its anatomical structure, the border of gray and white matter becomes indistinguishable, its consistency acquires at the beginning a mushy, and later a semi-liquid state. Later than in other tissues, putrefactive decay of the bone marrow occurs. This is due to the late penetration of microorganisms into the bone marrow of the corpse.

The most resistant to decay are the vessels, the stroma of organs, the non-pregnant uterus, the prostate, and cartilage.

Complete putrefactive decay of the soft tissues of the corpse under conditions favorable for the development of putrification processes can occur already after 3-4 weeks.

Histological examination in the presence of putrefactive changes is of relative importance. With moderately pronounced decay in the lungs, "stamped" alveoli are determined, the outlines of the bronchi, coal pigment are visible, Gram-positive rods can be found in the lung parenchyma, forming figures in the form of threads and brushes.

As a result of putrefactive transformation, liver tissue quickly loses its histological structure, due to diffusion into the parenchyma of bile and blood, a lot of greenish-brown pigment is found in it. The follicles of the spleen during the processes of cadaveric softening and putrefaction are preserved better than the elements of the pulp. Even with complete putrefaction of the pulp cells, the nuclei of the lymphoid elements of the follicles still give color. When the spleen is fixed in formalin, the formalin pigment easily falls out in it, which settles on the pulp cells, which leads to pigmentation of the spleen tissue, stroma and erythrocytes, which makes microscopic examination difficult.

The kidneys are more resistant to decay than the liver; they are histologically verified by the outlines of the glomeruli and vessels.

Microscopic examination of putrefactively changed lymph nodes reveals the disappearance of the nuclear staining of the lymphoid elements and their disintegration. Stromal elements remain in the lymph nodes somewhat longer.

rotting muscle tissue is accompanied by a change in the structure of muscle fibers: their transverse striation is smoothed out and disappears, the nuclei are weakly stained, fine-grained decay, divergence and complete destruction of muscle fibers are observed.

With slightly pronounced decay, a histological examination makes it possible to identify some pathological changes, and with complete destruction of cellular elements, differentiate organs according to the structure of the organ stroma and blood vessels. So, for example, it is possible to establish sclerotic changes and calcification of large arterial vessels even several months after death, sometimes fragments of powder grains can be found in putrefactively transformed parenchyma. However, in most cases, with pronounced putrification, microscopic examination of the material can add practically nothing to the data of macroscopic examination.

When conducting a forensic chemical study of cadaveric material in a state of putrefactive transformation and interpreting its results, it should be taken into account that a number of substances formed in the tissues of corpses during decay can give the same reactions as some poisons of organic origin.

This circumstance can significantly complicate the process of detecting and quantifying poisons in chemical-toxicological analysis, and also be the cause of erroneous conclusions about the presence of poisons in the organs of corpses.

Thus, great care must be taken in assessing the content of alcohols in putrefactively altered biological material.
It should be borne in mind that as a result of the vital activity of a number of bacteria involved in the putrification of corpses, amino acids and fats are oxidized with the formation of alcohols, the mixture of which contains methyl, ethyl and higher alcohols. Under the influence of Escherichia coli enzymes, various amounts of propyl, butyl and methyl alcohols are formed from glucose. Leucine produces amyl alcohol, and valine produces isobutyl alcohol.

The quantitative content of posthumously formed alcohols, as a rule, is insignificant and ranges from 0.5 ppm, but occasionally it can reach 1.0 ppm or more.

The exception is those cases when yeast flora is present in the cadaveric material. At the same time, the amount of posthumously formed alcohols, in particular ethyl alcohol, can reach toxicologically significant levels.
In the process of putrefactive decomposition of corpses, some poisonous substances that caused poisoning also undergo chemical changes.

The speed and intensity of transformations of toxic substances in a putrified corpse depends on a number of general factors affecting the process of decay, as well as on the chemical nature of poisons, the palette of cadaveric bacterial flora, access to air, moisture, decay time, and other conditions.

Toxins of organic origin in rotting corpses undergo oxidation, reduction, deamination, desulfurization and other transformations, which leads to their relatively rapid decomposition.

Esters decompose most quickly, within a few days or weeks after death, however, some toxic substances (atropine, cocaine, etc.) belonging to the noted class of compounds can be found in corpses several months or years after death.

Inorganic toxic substances in the cadaveric material remain longer, undergoing reduction reactions during the decay of corpses. Metal ions in inorganic poisons, which have a higher valence, are reduced to ions with a lower valence. Compounds of arsenic, phosphorus, sulfur and other non-metals can be reduced to form volatile compounds of these elements with hydrogen.

Arsenic and thallium compounds can remain in corpses for about 8-9 years, barium and antimony compounds - for about 5 years, mercury compounds remain in corpses for several months. After that, inorganic poisons penetrate the soil and cannot always be found in the remains of rotting or decayed corpses.

Despite the fact that the general biochemical nature of decay is fairly constant, the individual characteristics of the putrification process are quite labile and depend on a number of factors:

environmental conditions;
location of the corpse (in the open air, in water, in the ground);
anthropometric characteristics of the corpse;
the nature of the clothes on the corpse;
the age of the deceased;
the presence of damage;
causes of death;
medications taken before death;
composition of microflora, etc.

The temperature and humidity of the environment directly affect the rate of putrefactive transformation of the corpse. The most optimal conditions for the vital activity of putrefactive microorganisms occur at a temperature of + 30 -37 ° C, high humidity and access to atmospheric oxygen. Decay almost completely stops when the body temperature of the deceased is about 0 ° C and above + 55 ° C and sharply slows down in the range from 0 ° C to +10 ° C, due to unfavorable temperature conditions for the reproduction of putrefactive microorganisms.

Under appropriate temperature and humidity conditions in the corpse, the development of putrefactive microorganisms is possible extremely quickly, which leads to the fact that putrefaction in time can outstrip the process of autolysis.
If, after death, the process of tissue drying (mummification) develops, then decay gradually slows down, and then stops altogether.

Under conditions of high humidity (for example, when a corpse is in water), the course of decay slows down sharply, which is explained by a low oxygen concentration and a lower temperature. In dry, sandy, well-ventilated soil, decay develops faster than in dense, clayey, poorly ventilated soil. Corpses buried in coffins with clothing rot more slowly than those simply buried in the ground and without clothing.

Cases have been described total absence putrefactive changes after a long period of time after burial (up to 53 years) when the corpse is in metal coffins (zinc, lead). The decay of a corpse in the ground proceeds eight times slower than in air.

The development of decay is greatly influenced by the individual characteristics of the corpse.

The corpses of children undergo putrefactive decomposition faster than the corpses of adults, while the corpses of newborns and stillborns rot more slowly due to the absence of putrefactive flora.

In the corpses of overweight people, putrefaction develops faster than in the corpses of thin or emaciated people.

Accelerated decay is observed when the onset of death was accompanied by severe agony, death, in cases of death from infectious diseases, with septic complications, with extensive damage to the skin, with overheating (the so-called heat or sunstroke), as well as with some intoxications.

Deceleration of putrefaction is noted at death from massive blood loss, with lifetime use of antibiotics, sulfanilamide and other antimicrobial drugs.

During dismemberment, which is always accompanied by a sharp exsanguination of body parts, slowing down the processes of decay leads to a longer preservation of parts of the dismembered corpse.

The rotting of a corpse in the conditions of its stay in the water has its own distinctive features. Rotting in a pond with running water is slower than in stagnant water. When a corpse hits the bottom of a reservoir with great depth, where the water temperature is. +4 °C and high pressure, the rotting process may not develop for many months.

When a corpse is found at the depth of a reservoir, its decay proceeds relatively slowly and evenly. After a two-week stay in the water, the corpse begins to lose hair, but hydro-depilation is completely completed by the end of the month.

Putrid gases accumulating in the tissues and cavities of the corpse increase its buoyancy, due to which the corpse floats to the surface of the water. The lifting force of putrefactive gases is so great that a corpse weighing 60-70 kg can float up together with a load weighing about 30 kg. At a water temperature of 23-25°C, the ascent of the corpse to the surface of the water occurs on the 3rd day, at a water temperature of 17-19°C, the ascent of the corpse occurs on the 7-12th day, in colder water, the ascent of the corpse occurs after 2-3 weeks.

After the ascent of the corpse to the surface of the water, the process of decay intensifies abruptly and proceeds unevenly. The soft tissues of the face swell, turn green, while other parts of the body may be little affected by putrefaction. In the future, the whole body swells sharply and the corpse is disfigured, the stomach swells sharply, the corpse takes on the appearance of a “giant”, which can lead to errors in identifying the body of an unknown person. The scrotum especially increases in volume, the tissues of which can be torn under the influence of gases.

In warm weather, corpses removed from the water in the air very quickly decompose. Within a few hours, signs of decay appear - a dirty green color of the skin, a putrid venous network. Due to the fact that the development of putrification processes is influenced by a large number of factors that are not always possible to take into account in the aggregate, the forensic medical determination of the prescription of death by the nature and severity of putrefactive changes can only be carried out approximately.

Putrefactive transformations of a corpse make very tangible changes in the structure of tissues and organs, destroying many pathological changes that were present during life, however, a forensic medical examination of corpses should be carried out regardless of the degree of putrefaction. Even with pronounced putrefactive changes in the course of a forensic medical examination, it is possible to detect injuries and other signs that will make it possible to establish the cause of death and resolve other issues that arise before the expert.

Doctor forensic expert, associate professor of the department of forensic medicine, Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. N.I. Pirogova of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Ph.D. Sciences, Associate Professor Tumanov E.V. T Umanov E.V., Kildyushov E.M., Sokolova Z.Yu. Forensic thanatology - M.: YurInfoZdrav, 2011. - 172 p.