What do the corpses look like after? Other signs of death

British scientists decided to study how the body decomposes and organized an experiment by laying out 65 pig carcasses on outdoors.

These studies will help in the future to determine burial sites, including relatively old ones, using a specially designed device.

Officially, it takes 15 years for a body to completely decompose in a coffin. However, re-burial is allowed after approximately 11-13 years after the first. It is believed that during this time both the deceased and his final resting place will completely decompose, and the earth can be reused. Most often, this period is sufficient for the almost complete disappearance of the corpse. Thanatology and forensic medicine deal with the post-mortem mechanisms of the body, including partly the study of how the body decomposes in a coffin.

Immediately after death, self-digestion of human internal organs and tissues begins. And with it, after some time, rotting. Before a funeral, processes are slowed down by embalming or refrigerating the body to make the person appear more presentable. But underground there are no longer any restraining factors. And decay destroys the body full swing. As a result, all that remains is bones and chemical compounds: gases, salts and liquids.

In fact, a corpse is a complex ecosystem. It is a habitat and breeding ground for a large number of microorganisms. The system develops and grows as its habitat decomposes. Immunity turns off soon after death - and microbes and microorganisms populate all tissues and organs. They feed on cadaveric fluids and provoke further development of decay. Over time, all tissues completely rot or decay, leaving a bare skeleton. But it too may soon collapse, leaving only individual, especially strong bones.

What happens in the coffin after a year

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

Skeletonization is the stage of decomposition of the body when only one skeleton remains. What happens to the deceased in the coffin about a year after death. Sometimes some tendons or particularly dense and dry areas of the body may still remain. Next will be the process of mineralization. It can last for a very long time - up to 30 years. Everything remaining from the body of the deceased will have to lose all the “extra” minerals. As a result, what remains of a person is an unfastened pile of bones. The skeleton falls apart because the joint capsules, muscles and tendons that hold the bones together no longer exist. And it can remain in this form for an unlimited amount of time. At the same time, the bones become very fragile.

What happens to the coffin after burial?

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

As a corpse decomposes, it loses fluid and slowly turns into a collection of substances and minerals. Since a person is 70% water, it needs to go somewhere. She leaves everyone's body possible ways and seeps through the bottom boards into the ground. This obviously does not extend the life of the tree; excess moisture only provokes its rotting.

How a man decomposes in a coffin

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

Most often, the coffin with the deceased is buried after three days from the day 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. Because by this time autolysis and decay will have developed en masse, and internal organs will slowly begin to collapse. This can lead to putrefactive emphysema throughout the body, leakage of bloody fluid from the mouth and nose. Now the process can be stopped by embalming the body or keeping it in the refrigerator.

What happens to the corpse in the coffin after burial is reflected in several different processes. Collectively, they are called decomposition, which, in turn, is divided into several stages. Decomposition begins immediately after death. But it begins to manifest itself 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 cathepsins. This process does not depend on any microorganisms and begins independently. Internal organs such as the brain and adrenal medulla, spleen, and pancreas undergo autolysis most quickly, as they contain the largest amount of cathepsin. Somewhat later, all the cells of the body enter into the process. This provokes rigor mortis due to release from intercellular fluid calcium and its connection 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 have begun to decompose.

Autolysis is partly facilitated by various bacteria that spread throughout the body from the intestines, feeding on the fluid flowing from decomposing cells. They literally “spread” throughout the body through blood vessels. The liver is primarily affected. However, bacteria reach it within the first twenty hours from the moment of death, first promoting autolysis and then rotting.

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 humidity 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 wet, 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 thick clothing also help slow it down.

It is noteworthy that many myths about “moaning corpses” are associated specifically with rotting. This is called vocalization. When a corpse decomposes, gas is formed, which primarily occupies the cavities. When the body has not yet rotted, it exits through natural openings. When gas passes through vocal cords, constrained by numb muscles, the output is sound. Most often this is a wheezing or something similar to a groan. Rigor most often passes just in time for the funeral, so in 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 proteases of microbes and dead cells of the body. Proteins begin to break down gradually, to polypeptides and below. At the output, free amino acids remain instead. It is as a result of their subsequent transformation that a cadaverous odor arises. At this stage, the growth of mold on the corpse and the colonization of it by maggots and nematodes can speed up the process. They mechanically destroy tissues, thereby accelerating their decay.

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

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

Greening of the corpse (formation of sulfhemoglobin in the ileal region from hydrogen sulfide and hemoglobin).
Putrefactive vascular network (blood that does not leave the veins rots, and hemoglobin forms iron sulfide).
Cadaveric emphysema (the pressure of the gas produced during putrefaction swells the corpse. It can invert the pregnant uterus).
Glowing of a corpse in the dark (production of hydrogen phosphide, occurs in rare cases).

Smoldering

A corpse decomposes most quickly in the first six months after burial. However, instead of rotting, smoldering may begin - in cases where there is not enough moisture and too much oxygen for the former. But sometimes decay can begin after partial rotting of the corpse.

For it to occur, it is necessary that enough oxygen enters the body and not a lot of moisture enters. With it, the production of corpse gas stops. The release of carbon dioxide begins.

Another way is mummification or saponification

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

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

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

Fat wax 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 rotting and decay. In this case, the body begins to saponify (otherwise known as anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis). The main component of fat wax is ammonia soap. All subcutaneous fat, muscles, skin, mammary glands and brain are converted into it. Everything else either does not change (bones, nails, hair) or rots.

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The question is of course very interesting to many, and there are two most popular views on it: scientific and religious.

From a religious point of view	From a scientific point of view
The human soul is immortal	There is nothing but the physical shell
After death, a person expects heaven or hell, depending on his actions during life	Death is the end, it is impossible to avoid or significantly prolong life
Immortality is guaranteed to everyone, the only question is whether it will be eternal pleasures or endless torment	The only kind of immortality you can get is in your children. Genetic continuation
Earthly life is only a brief prelude to an endless existence	Life is all you have and is what you should value most.

- the best amulet against the evil eye and damage!

What happens to the soul after death?

This question interests many people, and now in Russia there is even an institute that is trying to measure the soul, weigh it and film it. But the Vedas describe that the soul is immeasurable, it is eternal and always existing, and is equal to one ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair, that is, very small. It is practically impossible to measure it with any material instruments. Think for yourself, how can you measure intangibles with material instruments? This is a riddle for people, a mystery.

The Vedas say that the tunnel that people who have experienced clinical death describe is nothing more than a channel in our body. There are 9 main openings in our body - ears, eyes, nostrils, navel, anus, genitals. There is a channel in the head called sushumna, you can feel it - if you close your ears, you will hear noise. The crown is also a channel through which the soul can exit. It can come out through any of these channels. After death, experienced people can determine which sphere of existence the soul went to. If it comes out through the mouth, then the soul returns again to the earth, if through the left nostril - towards the moon, through the right - towards the sun, if through the navel - it goes to the planetary systems that are below the Earth, and if through the genitals, it enters to the lower worlds. It so happened that I saw a lot of dying people in my life, in particular the death of my grandfather. At the moment of death, he opened his mouth, then there was a big exhalation. His soul came out through his mouth. Thus life force leaves along with the soul through these channels.

Where do the souls of dead people go?

After the soul has left the body, for 40 days it will remain in the place where it lived. It happens that after a funeral people feel that someone is present in the house. If you want to feel like a ghost, imagine eating ice cream in a plastic bag: there are possibilities, but you can't do anything, you can't taste it, you can't touch anything, you can't physically move. When a ghost looks in the mirror, he does not see himself and feels shocked. Hence the custom of covering mirrors.

First day after death physical body the soul is in shock because it cannot understand how it will live without a body. Therefore, in India there is a custom of immediately destroying the body. If the body remains dead for a long time, the soul will constantly circle around it. If the body is buried, she will see the process of decomposition. Until the body rots, the soul will be with it, because during life it was very attached to its outer shell, practically identified itself with it, the body was the most valuable and expensive.

On the 3-4th day the soul comes to its senses a little, disentangles itself from the body, walks around the neighborhood, and returns to the house. Relatives do not need to throw hysterics and loud sobs, the soul hears everything and experiences these torments. At this time, one must read the sacred scriptures and literally explain what the soul should do next. The spirits hear everything, they are next to us. Death is a transition to a new life; death as such does not exist. Just as during life we change clothes, so the soul changes one body to another. During this period the soul experiences physical pain, but psychologically, she is very worried and does not know what to do next. Therefore, we need to help the soul and calm it down.

Then you need to feed her. When the stress passes, the soul wants to eat. This condition appears the same as during life. The subtle body desires to receive taste. And we respond to this with a glass of vodka and bread. Think for yourself, when you are hungry and thirsty, they offer you dry crust of bread and vodka! How will it be for you?

You can make it easier later life souls after death. To do this, for the first 40 days you do not need to touch anything in the room of the deceased and do not start dividing his things. After 40 days, you can do some good deed on behalf of the deceased and transfer the power of this act to him - for example, on his birthday, keep a fast and declare that the power of the fast passes to the deceased. In order to help the deceased, you need to earn this right. Just lighting a candle is not enough. In particular, you can feed the priests or give out alms, plant a tree, and all this must be done on behalf of the deceased.

The scriptures say that after 40 days the soul comes to the bank of a river called Virajya. This river is teeming with various fish and monsters. There is a boat near the river, and if the soul has enough piety to pay for the boat, it swims across, and if not, then it swims - this is the way to the courtroom. After the soul has crossed this river, the god of death Yamaraj, or in Egypt they call him Anibus, awaits it. A conversation is conducted with him, his whole life is shown as if on film. There the future fate is determined: in what body the soul will be born again and in what world.

By performing certain rituals, ancestors can greatly help the dead, make their future path easier, and even literally pull them out of hell.

Video - Where does the soul go after death?

Does a person feel his death approaching?

In terms of premonitions, there are examples in history when people predicted their death within the next few days. But this does not mean that every person is capable of this. And we shouldn’t forget about the great power of coincidences.

It may be interesting to know whether a person is able to understand that he is dying:

We all feel the deterioration of our own condition.
Although not all internal organs have pain receptors, there are more than enough of them in our body.
We even feel the arrival of a banal ARVI. What can we say about death?
Regardless of our desires, the body does not want to die in panic and activates all its resources to fight the serious condition.
This process may be accompanied by convulsions, pain syndrome, severe shortness of breath.
But not every sharp deterioration well-being indicates the approach of death. Most often, the alarm will be false, so there is no need to panic in advance.
You should not try to cope with conditions close to critical on your own. Call everyone you can for help.

Signs of approaching death

As death approaches, a person may experience some physical and emotional changes, such as:

Excessive drowsiness and weakness, at the same time periods of wakefulness decrease, energy fades.
Breathing changes, periods fast breathing are replaced by pauses in breathing.
Hearing and vision change, for example, a person hears and sees things that others do not notice.
Appetite worsens, the person drinks and eats less than usual.
Changes in the urinary and gastrointestinal systems. Your urine may turn dark brown or dark red, and you may have bad (difficult) stools.
Body temperature changes, ranging from very high to very low.
Emotional changes, the person is not interested in the outside world and certain details of everyday life, such as time and date.

Determining the time and prescription of death is the main issue decided by a forensic expert when examining the scene of an incident or discovering a corpse, as well as during an examination of the corpse in the morgue. The practical importance of solving this issue was pointed out by the author of the first treatise on forensic medicine, the famous Italian doctor Zacchias (1688), E.O. Mukhin (1805, 1824), S.A. Gromov (1832, 1838), Nysten (1811), Orfila (1824), etc.

Establishing the time that elapsed from the moment of death until the discovery of the corpse provides great assistance to the investigation in clarifying the circumstances of the incident and determining the location of the incident, allows you to narrow the range of investigative activities in the search for persons involved in the incident, exclude or confirm the involvement of certain persons in the crime committed, and verify the accuracy of testimony witnesses and suspects in the investigation and sentencing process.

Comparing the time of death of an unknown person with the time of the person’s disappearance makes it possible to identify or deny that his corpse belongs to the wanted person.

Methods for determining the time and duration of death are based on the patterns of development of cadaveric phenomena, the phenomenon of tissue survival in the first time after death and the patterns of chemical changes occurring in the corpse. Some methods make it possible to judge the time of death indirectly, by establishing the time of burial of the corpse and the presence of the corpse in water.

When addressing this issue, it is necessary to take into account external and internal conditions that influence the acceleration or deceleration of the development of cadaveric phenomena in different environments.

Over the course of a number of years, it was decided by the degree of severity of cadaveric phenomena. In cases where a corpse is in the air, in the ground, in water, taking into account the degree of development of the cycles of insects, fungi, plants, evacuation of gastrointestinal contents, it is necessary to remember that the age of death is determined not from the moment of the incident, but from the moment of death itself, since it could follow several hours after the incident (infliction of injury, injection of poison, etc.). To increase the accuracy and objectification of the research results, instrumental methods of deep thermometry (N.P. Marchenko, 1967), deep two-zone liver thermometry (A.A. Olnev, 1971, 1974), measurements rectal temperature(G.A. Botezatu, 1975) and laboratory research methods - histological, biochemical, biophysical (V.I. Kononenko, 1971), cytological, etc.

Carrying out such research requires expensive equipment, instruments and reagents. The complexity of the listed research methods, the large “scatter” of the obtained quantitative characteristics, sometimes contradictory research results, often at odds with the data obtained during the investigation, did not allow them to be introduced into practice, and the determination of the duration of death is, as before, carried out according to the severity of cadaveric phenomena. A reasoned answer to this question is sometimes decisive in solving a crime and exposing the criminal.

Existing instrumental methods for establishing the duration of death are currently not used by practical experts due to the lack and high cost of instruments and reagents, therefore, as in previous times, the duration of death has to be determined using human senses. Despite limited opportunities existing methods, their practical importance cannot be underestimated, since they make it possible, with a certain degree of probability, to judge the dynamics and severity of cadaveric phenomena for an approximate judgment about the duration of death.

Correctly assessed cadaveric phenomena during inspection of the scene of the incident make it possible to preliminarily determine the duration of death, sometimes its cause, and identify poisoning. A final solution to this issue is possible only after internal research.

Information necessary for an expert to determine the duration of death based on cadaveric findings

In the establishing part of the resolution, the investigator must reflect the time and date of the examination, the temperature and humidity of the air, the place where the corpse or its remains were found, the presence or absence of clothes and shoes, the order of the clothes (whether they are buttoned or unbuttoned), the state of the corpse, provide a certificate from the hydrometeorological service for the period the expected period of development of cadaveric phenomena. In cases where a corpse is found in a room, it is necessary to indicate whether the windows, vents, or doors were closed or open; in bed - how bed linen or the corpse was covered with other objects, list the items of clothing worn on the corpse, emphasize whether the collar of the shirt was buttoned and how tightly it covered the neck, whether a corpse smell was felt while turning the corpse over and at the moment of entering the room, the presence of living and dead insects, pets. When examining a corpse in the open air, indicate accumulations of insects, the state of vegetation around and under the corpse, their germination through the corpse; when examining an exhumed corpse, list the porosity of the soil, its granularity, composition; when examining a corpse removed from water, the water temperature, speed water flows, note the presence of birds, traces of animals, insects, provide information on the average daily temperature for all days from the expected time of death to the day of examination of the corpse.

Determining the duration of death based on cadaveric findings

Putrid smell

On the first day after death, it begins to secrete from the opening of the nose, mouth and anus. putrid smell, indicating the beginning of decay.

2-3 hours after death, by 15-24 hours it is already clearly noticeable.

Example . When a corpse is turned over, a sharp (weak) putrid odor emanates.

Corpse cooling

The description of the dynamics of cooling begins with measuring the cooling of the corpse to the touch and recording in the protocol the degree of cooling of each of the areas subjected to study. The developed instrumental methods of deep thermometry (N.P. Marchenko; V.I. Kononenko, 1968; GA. Botezatu, 1973; V.V. Tomilin, 1980, etc.), unfortunately, are not currently used.

To determine cadaveric cooling, the back surface of a warm hand is applied to the touch, first to open areas of the body of the person being examined (back surface of the hands, face, etc.), and then to areas covered by clothing ( armpits, the border of the upper third of the thighs and inguinal folds), which, due to contact, cool more slowly, then to those covered with a blanket or other cover. The protocol records the degree of cooling of each of the named areas.

IN normal conditions cooling begins from exposed areas of the body. The hands and feet become cold to the touch 1-2 hours after death. The face - after 2 hours, the body - after 8-12 hours. After 6-10 hours, the temperature of open areas of the body can become equal to the air temperature. After 4-5 hours, areas of the body under clothing become cold.

At +15-+18 °C, the body of a normally clothed person (without outerwear) cools down at a rate of about 1 °C in one hour and by the end of the day is compared with the environment, but there is an exception to this rule when the temperature accelerates or slows down. In the most favorable conditions, a corpse
cools to +20°C and below 10-12 hours after death. An ambient temperature of +15 °C cools the face, hands and feet of a corpse of a lightly dressed adult in 1-2 hours, the torso in 8-10 hours, and the abdomen in 8-16 hours. The skin cools completely by the end of the day, while the temperature stays in internal organs longer. Cooling of an adult corpse to an ambient temperature of +20°C occurs in 30 hours, +10°C - 40 hours, +5°C - 50 hours. Thus, when assessing the temperature of a corpse, it is first necessary to take into account the conditions in which there was a corpse. Cooling of a corpse located on snow or ice can occur in half an hour to an hour. In persons with convulsions preceding death, body temperature rises by 1-2 °C, and with agony it decreases by 1-2 °C. (N.S. Bokarius, 1930).

The corpses of persons who have lost a lot of blood and are exhausted are completely cooled in 12 hours, and newborns - in 6 hours. In winter, in the open air or in cold water Cooling may be completed within an hour. IN summer time The corpses of those who drowned in water cool down 2-3 hours after being in the water. Areas of the body not covered by clothing cool faster than those covered by 4-5 hours.

Example . The corpse is completely cold to the touch. The corpse is cold to the touch except closed areas bodies. The corpse is cold to the touch except for the axillary and groin areas.

Rigor mortis

The procedure for studying rigor mortis begins with determining the degree of mobility in the joints lower jaw, neck, limbs using the muscular strength of the examiner. Instrumental methods Research into rigor mortis has not been developed at this time.

If during this period you press on bottom part chest, then the rigor of the diaphragm will be broken, and it will again take its original position. The lungs will collapse, the air from them, passing through the larynx in a strong stream, can cause a sound similar to a groan.

Example . Rigor mortis is sharply (good, satisfactory, bad) expressed in the muscles of the lower jaw, neck, limbs (sometimes experts write: in all commonly studied muscle groups, meaning the muscles of the lower jaw, neck, limbs). Rigor mortis is pronounced in the muscles of the lower jaw, neck, fingers, and moderately in other muscle groups of the extremities. Rigor mortis is absent in all commonly examined muscle groups.

Cadaveric spots

Cadaveric spots are often examined by pressing with a finger and observing the color change of the cadaveric spot at the site of pressure and incisions. The time of restoration of the color of the cadaveric spot and the characteristics of the flow of blood from the cut surface allows us to roughly judge the duration of death.

Pressure on the cadaveric spot is applied during the os projection of the bone. When the corpse is positioned on the back, pressure is applied in lumbar region respectively 3-4 lumbar vertebrae, on the stomach - in the sternum area, in vertical position- according to the inner surface of the tibia.

For more precise definition Dynamometers are used to determine the duration of death using cadaveric spots. Pressure is applied with a force of 2 kg/cm2. At present, dynamometry of cadaveric spots is practically not used due to the lack of dynamometers and the pressure is applied, as before, by the finger of the examiner’s hand, and therefore the data are of relative importance. The results must be assessed with caution and in conjunction with other data. At the scene of the incident, cadaveric spots are examined after 1 hour for 2-3 hours.

The description of the condition of cadaveric spots begins with their general characteristics. Cadaveric spots are abundant (not abundant), confluent (island-shaped, clearly limited), blue-purple (gray-violet, pink, cherry, etc.) are poorly distinguishable, visible on the posterior (posterolateral, anterior, inferior) surface of the body, hands, (between top edge awns iliac bones and feet) when pressed with a finger, they disappear (turn pale, do not change) and restore their color after 15-20 s. Against the background of cadaveric spots on back surface The body contains scattered small and large punctate hemorrhages, effusions of blood up to 0.5 cm in diameter (incipient putrefactive blisters). Against the background of poorly visible gray-violet cadaveric spots on the anterior surface of the body on the right, pinpoint hemorrhages are localized. After turning the corpse over from the front surface of the body to the back, the cadaveric spots moved within 50 minutes.

The description of cadaveric spots records the location and severity by area, the nature - confluent or island-shaped, outline, coloring in each of the areas of location, the presence of places with unchanged skin color against the background of cadaveric spots, the number - single (multiple, abundant), where and what incisions were made skin, condition of tissues on the incision.

Incisions are made crosswise or parallel to each other, 1.5-2 cm long, noting the appearance of the skin layers, color, bleeding from the vessels or blood from the vessels or hematoma. In persons with dark color On the skin, cadaveric spots are indistinguishable, and therefore they are always examined through incisions and using additional (histological) research methods.

Cadaveric spots begin to form 30-40 minutes after death (hypostasis stage). After 2-4 hours they increase in size and begin to merge, occupying the underlying areas of the body. Corpse spots reach full development in the period from 3 to 14 hours. At this time, they disappear when pressed with a finger and restore their color. The formation of cadaveric spots continues intensively for 10-12 hours. In the stage of stasis, which lasts approximately 12-24 hours, cadaveric spots turn pale and slowly restore their color.

In the imbibition stage, which lasts 24-48 hours, the color of cadaveric spots does not change when pressed. These patterns in changes in the color of cadaveric spots must be taken into account when determining the duration of death, taking into account the cause and rate of death. Subsequently, cadaveric spots undergo putrefactive changes. With blood loss, the period of appearance of cadaveric spots increases to 2.5-3 hours or more. In the case of carbon monoxide poisoning, the transition of cadaveric spots to the imbibition stage is observed by the end of the day.

The absence of cadaveric spots indicates that at least 2-3 hours have passed since death.

Currently greatest distribution received tables for determining the duration of death, based on changes in the color of cadaveric spots, compiled taking into account the cause of death and thanatogenesis (Table 42).

By the location of cadaveric spots, one can judge the position and change in the position of the corpse, guided by the following provisions:

- the location of cadaveric spots on one surface of the body suggests that the corpse was not turned over within 24 hours after death;

- localization of cadaveric spots on two or more surfaces of the body indicates manipulation of the corpse within 24 hours;

- the same intensity of coloring of cadaveric spots on opposite surfaces of the body indicates that the corpse, lying on one surface, was turned over 12-15 hours later onto another;

- a more pronounced expression of cadaveric spots on one of the opposite surfaces gives reason to believe that the corpse lay for at least 15 hours on the surface where the cadaveric spots are more pronounced, and then was turned to another surface.

Example . Cadaveric spots are abundant, confluent, blue-purple, visible on the back surface of the body when pressing with a finger in the area of the spinous process 3 lumbar vertebra disappear and restore their color after 15-20 s.

Cadaveric autolysis

Cloudiness of the cornea open eyes begins after 2-4 hours, and after 5-7 hours it is already well expressed.

Corpse desiccation

Corpse desiccation (Larche's spots) begins from the cornea and white membranes of open or half-open eyes after 2-6 hours.

Areas of skin that were moisturized during life dry out after 5-6 hours.

Cadaveric desiccation appears 6-12 hours after death, but reaches significant severity only after 1-2 days.

Thickening of dried skin areas and the appearance of a red-brown or yellow-brown color are observed at the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2nd day.

Example : eyes open (half open). The corneas are cloudy. On the white membranes in the corners of the eyes there are dried gray-brown triangular areas (Larchet spots).

A dark red dried parchment spot is visible on the anterior surface of the scrotum. Stretching of the skin in the area of the parchment spot did not reveal any changes.

Putrid changes

The study of putrefactive changes begins with general characteristics manifestations of putrefaction, listing the areas of location of the dirty green color of the skin, changes in the shape, volume, size of the corpse, putrefactive vascular network, cadaveric emphysema, putrefactive blisters, their contents, damage, the presence of epidermal flaps, detachment of hair on the head.

Putrefactive gases begin to form in the large intestine 3-6 hours after death.

The first signs of decay in the form of a cadaverous odor, dirty green coloration of the skin of the iliac areas and mucous membranes respiratory tract appear at a temperature of +16 ... 18 ° C and a relative humidity of 40-60% by 24-36 hours after death. Corpse greens in favorable conditions appear after 12-20 hours.

At a temperature of +20 ... 35 ° C, cadaveric greenery spreads to the torso, neck, head, and limbs. By the end of the second week, it covers the skin of the entire corpse. Against this background, a tree-like branching putrefactive venous network often appears.

In summer, corpse greens appear after 15-18 hours, in winter between one and five days.

After 3-5 days, the stomach becomes a solid dirty green color, and the whole body becomes dirty green after 7-14 days

At a temperature of +15 .. 16 ° C, greening begins on the 4-5 day from the skin of the iliac regions. In the cold season, it appears within 2-3 days, and at temperatures of 0 °C greening does not appear at all.

Cadaveric emphysema is determined by examining and feeling the corpse. It appears by the end of the first day in favorable conditions, on the 3rd day it becomes clearly visible, and by the 7th day it becomes pronounced.

On the 3rd-4th day, due to the increasing pressure of putrefactive gases in abdominal cavity microbes spread through the venous vessels, turning them dirty red or dirty green. A putrefactive venous network is formed.

Due to the action of gases and the sinking of liquid, detachment of the epidermis and the appearance of blisters filled with dirty-red putrefactive, foul-smelling liquid begin within 4-6 days.

After 9-14 days, the blisters burst, exposing the actual skin.

Example . Putrefactive changes are expressed in the form of a dirty green coloring of the skin of the head and torso, putrefactive venous network on the extremities, cadaveric emphysema, putrefactive blisters filled with dirty red putrefactive fluid. Some of the blisters opened, revealing a yellow-brown surface with a translucent vascular network. Along the edges of the opening blisters, the epidermis hangs down in the form of flaps. The hair on the head becomes detached when touched.

Putrefactive fluid from the openings of the nose and mouth begins to be released within 2 weeks.

For 3 weeks fabrics become slippery and tear easily. Pronounced putrefactive softening of the tissues of the corpse is observed after 3-4 months After 3-6 months. there is a decrease in the size of the corpse.

Natural skeletonization with preserved ligamentous apparatus occurs no earlier than after 1 year. Complete skeletonization with the disintegration of the skeleton into fragments requires at least 5 years (Table 43).

Entomological studies have a certain significance in establishing the age of death. They are based on knowledge of the patterns of appearance of various insects on the corpse, their development cycles, the timing of egg laying, their transformation into larvae, pupae and adults, and the destruction of corpse tissue.

Knowledge of the type of insect and the conditions of its development allows us to judge the time that has passed since death.

When examining a corpse at the scene of an incident or discovery, pay attention to the location of the ovipositors, larvae, and their chitinous shells (after flies and beetles emerge). Larvae are grouped according to species and development time, since in different areas of the body they may differ from flies in the shape of the larvae or the covering of their body with coarse hairs. When removing material for research, the areas of the body of the corpse from which it was removed are noted. Material is taken not only from the corpse, but also from the surrounding area within a radius of 1 m and from a depth of up to 30 cm.

For oviposition studies, larvae, pupae, puparia cases and adult insects are collected in glass tubes and 200 ml jars, with wet sawdust placed at the bottom. Insects are taken from different areas of the body of the corpse, from the bed of the corpse and from the soil under it from a depth of 15-20 cm, and in rooms from pieces of furniture and from cracks in the floor. Each sample is placed in separate test tubes and jars, flies are separated from beetles. In cases of large numbers of insects, half of the samples are preserved with ethyl alcohol. The investigator must expressly send the living specimens to the entomological laboratory of the sanitary-epidemiological station. After 7-10 days, it is advisable to re-examine the corpse bed together with a specialist entomologist to obtain additional information and collect samples of insects that continue their development in natural conditions in the absence of the corpse. The absence of insects and larvae on the putrefactive corpse can be explained by death in the autumn-winter period, as well as the impregnation of clothing with chemicals that repel flies.

Highest value in determining the duration of death have the development cycles of the housefly. The first to arrive are houseflies, corpse flies and blue blowflies, attracted by the smell of rotting meat - green and gray blowflies, which give birth to live larvae up to 1.5 mm long, and then other species of flies from the family of blowflies and flowers.

A housefly at +30 °C goes through the development stage from egg to adult in 10-12 days, and at a temperature of +18 °C - in 25-30 days. At a temperature of +30°C, the egg stage from laying to the formation of a larva requires 8-12 hours, the larval period is 5-6 days, and the pupal period is 4-5 days.

Within 1 week. The larvae are small, thin, no more than 6-7 mm long. On the 2nd week. their progressive growth begins. They become up to 3-4 mm thick, their length exceeds 1.5 cm. By the end of the 2nd week. The larvae crawl into dark places (under a corpse, clothes), lose mobility, and pupate. The pupae are initially yellow-gray, then gradually become dark brown, enclosed in dense shells, in which within 2 weeks. the adult individual develops. A fully formed insect gnaws through one of the ends of the shell and crawls out. Within 1-2 hours, the wet fly dries out, acquires the ability to fly, and within a day can lay eggs.

Temperature +16 ... 18 °C almost triples the time. The usual development cycle of a housefly at a temperature of +18 ... 20 ° C is 3-4 weeks. The presence of only eggs on the corpse indicates the occurrence of death from 12-15 hours to 2 days ago, the presence of larvae - after 10-30 hours, detection of both eggs and larvae - from 1 to 3 days, the predominance of larvae - from 3 days to 2.5 weeks, pupae emerge from the larvae after 6-14 days, flies - 5-30 days. Increasing the temperature to +20- +25 °C reduces the period to 9-15 days. The listed periods are very arbitrary. They can shorten and lengthen depending on temperature, humidity, environment, and layer on top of each other, which sometimes does not allow any specific conclusions to be drawn.

Soft fabrics a child can be eaten by fly larvae to the bones from 6-8 days to 1.5-2 weeks, and an adult from 3-4 weeks. up to 1.5-2 months

The presence of eggs, larvae and adult flies on the corpse allows us to draw a conclusion about the time that has passed since the beginning of the destruction of the corpse by flies.

The duration of the development periods of flies determines the time of year, climatic conditions, the environment where the corpse is found. When the corpse begins to decompose in the spring-summer months, this period ranges from 25-53 days, and in the autumn-winter months - 312 days.

The timing of the onset of complete mummification is very controversial, according to A.V. Maslova (1981) it can occur in 30-35 days, N.V. Popova (1950) - for 2-3 months, B.D. Levchenkova (1968) - for 6-12 months

In lime pits, lime mummification forms within 1-2 years.

The appearance of fat wax in certain parts of the corpse is possible after 2-5 weeks. after death, in the whole corpse - after 3-4 months Adult corpses turn into fat wax after 8-12 months, and babies - after 4-6 months

Partial exposure of the corpse to a humid environment and the influx of dry warm air cause the formation of adipose wax and island mummification on the same corpse. The absence of patterns in the rate of fat wax formation to determine the duration of death must be used cautiously and in combination with other data.

Under particularly favorable conditions on the surface of the earth, soft tissues can collapse in 1.5-2 months, in the ground - 2-3 years, ligaments and cartilage - 4-6 years after death, bones and hair resist rotting for many years.

Corpses buried in the ground are destroyed by meat eaters (up to 3 months after burial), after them - by skin beetles (up to 8 months) sebum eaters mainly, then carrion eaters predominate (3-8 months), then mites appear, destroying the most resistant tissues of the corpse.

Sarcophagi eat soft tissue and fat from corpses in the ground in 1-3 months, skin beetles - for 2-4 months, sylphs - up to 8 months, and cartilage and ligaments are destroyed by mites. The dark brown hair of corpses in the ground slowly, over the course of 3 years, changes color to reddish-golden or reddish, which must be remembered when identifying exhumed corpses. Degreasing of bones in the ground occurs after 5-10 years. Ants can skeletonize a corpse in 4-8 weeks.

Favorable conditions contribute to the decomposition of the corpse over 3-4 summer months.

Fading of the color of plants under the corpse due to the loss of chlorophyll is observed 6-8 days after the corpse is in this place.

In winter, corpses can remain in cold rooms for several weeks without signs of rotting.

The soft tissues of a corpse in a wooden coffin are completely destroyed in 2-3 years

Determining the duration of death by gastrointestinal tract

The duration of death can be judged by the presence, absence and speed of movement of food into the gastrointestinal tract, using data from normal digestive physiology, which allows us to determine the time elapsed from the moment of ingestion to death. Regular food is evacuated from the stomach in 3-5 hours with 3-4 meals a day, and the stomach is empty before main meals.

The absence of food in the stomach suggests that food was not taken within 2-3 hours before death.

The presence of almost undigested food mass in the stomach indicates food intake no more than 2 hours before death.

Evacuation of food from the stomach into duodenum begins 2-4 hours after food enters the stomach. The average speed of movement of food gruel through the intestines is 1.8-2 m/h. Moving at such a speed, it reaches the beginning of the large intestine after 3-3.5 hours, food passes through the hepatic flexure after 6 hours, and through the splenic flexure 12 hours after eating. The presence of food remains in the small and cecal intestines indicates that it was taken 4-6 hours before death, and the absence of food in the stomach and small intestine indicates food intake at least 6-12 hours before death.

The rate of evacuation of food from the stomach to the intestines is influenced by its composition. Vegetable and dairy foods are evacuated from the stomach to the intestines in 2.5-3.5 hours, vegetable foods with a moderate amount of meat (regular food) - in 4-5 hours, foods with big amount fat, especially lamb, fatty varieties fish, canned food, prunes, raisins, large amounts of sugar, honey, mushrooms, smoked meats - for 8-10 hours. These data can be used if you know the time of consumption of the listed food. In cases of unknown food intake, to establish the time of its intake, the intestines are opened after 0.5-1 m, measuring the distance from the stomach to the place where food particles similar to those detected in the stomach are detected. The study is carried out by washing the gastric contents with water on a sieve.

The presence of approximately 150 ml of ethyl alcohol in 500 ml of food in the stomach contents delays evacuation by an average of 1.5-1 hours.

Determining the duration of death by bladder

The duration of death can be judged by the filling of the bladder if the corpse is found in bed.

Lack of urine in bladder allows us to judge the occurrence of death at the beginning of the night. Filling it with urine gives reason to believe that death will occur before the morning.

Thus, none of the methods used to determine the duration of death guarantees the accuracy of its determination. However, focusing on the given timing of the appearance of certain cadaveric phenomena, comparing them with each other, taking into account the conditions affecting the time of their appearance and development, it is possible with a certain degree of probability to establish the prescription of death.

Most of us would prefer not to think about what happens to our bodies after death. But if you are interested, then continue reading the article.

Gut microbiome

Far from being “dead,” the corpse is teeming with life. A growing number of scientists view the rotting corpse as the cornerstone of a vast and complex ecosystem that emerges soon after a person's death and evolves as the body decomposes.

Decomposition begins a few minutes after death with a process called autolysis, or self-purification. Soon after the heart stops beating, cells are deprived of oxygen, and their acidity increases as toxic chemical products accumulate inside them. Enzymes begin to digest cell membranes, and then seeping into the cell, destroying it.

It usually starts in the liver, which is rich in enzymes, and the brain, which has high water content. Eventually, all tissues and organs begin to break down. Damaged blood cells begin to leak from damaged vessels and, due to the force of gravity, settle in capillaries and small veins, discoloring the skin.

The body's temperature begins to drop until it acclimatizes to its surroundings. Then rigor sets in. It starts in the eyelids, jaw muscles and neck before spreading throughout the body and reaching the limbs.

In life muscle cells contract and relax due to the actions of two filamentous proteins (actin and myosin) that slide along each other. After death, the cells are depleted, the protein filaments freeze. Because of this, the muscles become stiff.

In the early stages, the cadaveric ecosystem consists primarily of bacteria that live in and on the living human body. The body contains a huge number of bacteria. Each of the areas human body provides habitat for a specialized microbial community. By far the largest of these communities lives in the gut, where trillions of bacteria from hundreds or perhaps thousands of different species live.

The gut microbiome is one of the hottest research topics in biology. This is because the gut microbiome plays a role in a variety of conditions and diseases, from autism and depression to irritable bowel syndrome and obesity. But we still know little about these microbes. And even less about what happens to them when we die.

Most internal organs are free of germs when a person is alive. However, soon after death the immune system stops working, allowing germs to spread freely throughout the body.

Distribution begins in the intestines, at the junction between the small and large intestines. Left out of control intestinal bacteria begin to digest the intestines, and then the surrounding tissues. They then invade the capillaries digestive system and lymph nodes, spreading first to the liver and spleen, then to the heart and brain.

One day, a team of scientists took samples of the liver, spleen, brain, heart and blood of 11 corpses, 20 and 240 hours after death. They used two different modern technologies DNA sequencing combined with bioinformatics to analyze and compare the bacterial contents of each sample.

Specimens taken from different organs in the same corpse are very similar to each other, but very different from those taken from the same organs in other bodies. This may be due in part to differences in the microbiome composition of each corpse, or it may be caused by differences in the time since death.

The bacteria entered the liver 20 hours after death. It took the microbes 58 hours to spread to all the organs from which the samples were taken. Thus, after a person dies, bacteria spread throughout the body systematically.

The degree of decomposition not only varies from person to person, but also differs in different organs bodies.

Rotting

For most of us, the sight of a rotting corpse in best case scenario disturbing and at worst disgusting and frightening nightmare. But this is what forensic medical examiners face every day.

In late 2011, SHSU researchers Sybil Bucheli and Aaron Lynn and their colleagues housed two new cadavers and left them in natural conditions.

Once the process of apoptosis has begun and bacteria have begun to leave the gastrointestinal tract, putrefaction begins. This is molecular death - the breakdown of soft tissues into gases, liquids and salts.

The bacteria feed on the body's tissues, fermenting sugars in them to produce gaseous byproducts such as methane, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which accumulate in the body, bloating the abdomen and sometimes other parts of the body.

This leads to further discoloration of the body. As damaged blood cells continue to leak from disintegrating vessels, anaerobic bacteria convert the hemoglobin molecules that once carried oxygen in the body into sulfhemoglobin.

The presence of this molecule in stagnant blood gives the skin the marbled, greenish-black color characteristic of a body undergoing active decomposition.

Changing the surrounding ecosystem

A decaying body significantly changes the chemistry of the soil beneath it, causing changes that can persist for many years.

Substances that remain from the body seep into the soil. And microorganisms then transport these substances. Ultimately, the entire process creates a "decomposition island" - a highly concentrated area of organically rich soil.

It is estimated that the average human body consists of 50-75% water, and each kilogram of dry body mass ultimately releases 32 g of nitrogen, 10 g of phosphorus, 4 g of potassium and 1 g of magnesium into the soil. Decomposition is beneficial to the surrounding ecosystem.

Further research into how decomposing bodies change ecology could provide new way searching for murder victims whose bodies were buried in shallow graves.

Analysis of grave soil can also provide another possible way estimates of time of death.

Nobody likes talking about death, the perishability of existence, and so on. For some, they remind us of lectures on philosophy that we tried to skip at the institute, while for others they make us sad, make us look at our lives from a bird’s eye view and understand that there is still so much to do.

No matter how sad it may be, it is important to treat this as a part of life and it is useful to season everything with a bit 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 previously pent-up gases are released.

2. Rigor mortis.

It is also called Rigor Mortis. And it is caused by the loss of a substance called adenosine triphosphate. In short, it is its absence 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 least susceptible to cadaveric petrification.

3. Goodbye wrinkles!

As mentioned just above, after death the body relaxes, which means that tension in the muscles disappears. Thus, small wrinkles in the corners of the lips, eyes, and forehead may disappear. The smile also disappears from the face.

4. Wax bodies.

Some bodies, under certain conditions, can become coated 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 and spasms occur in it. Moreover, there have been cases when, after a person has given up the ghost, his chest moves, creating the impression that the deceased is breathing. And the reason for such phenomena lies in the fact that after death, the nervous system sends a signal to the spinal cord for some time.

6. Attack by bacteria.

Each of us has countless bacteria in our bodies. And for the reason that after death the immune system ceases to function, now nothing prevents them from moving freely throughout the body. So, bacteria begin to consume the intestines, and then the surrounding tissues. Then they invade blood capillaries digestive system and The lymph nodes, spreading first to the liver and spleen, and then to the heart and brain.

7. Corpse moans.

Every person's body is filled with liquids and gas. As soon as all organs are attacked by the bacteria that we wrote about in the previous paragraph, the process of rotting begins, and then some of the gases evaporate. So, for them, one of the exit routes is the trachea. Therefore, a whistle, a sigh, or groans are often heard inside a dead body. Definitely a terrible sight.

8. Sexual arousal.

Most deceased men experience swelling of the penis after death, resulting in an erection. This is explained by the fact that after cardiac arrest, blood, under the influence of gravitational forces, moves to lower organs, and the penis is one of them.

9. Childbirth.

There have been cases in history when the body of a deceased pregnant woman pushed out a non-viable fetus. This is all explained by 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 was old age.

11. Last 10 seconds.

Some experts say that after the soul has left the body, some cellular activity in the head and brain may be observed. All this is the result of muscle contraction. In general, after recording 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 may collapse after years, but in any case, especially strong bones will remain.

13. A little about decomposition.

It is believed that the human body consists of 50-75% water, and every kilogram of dry body mass during decomposition releases environment 32 grams of nitrogen, 10 grams of phosphorus, 4 grams of potassium and 1 gram of magnesium. At first, this kills the vegetation below and around. It is possible that the reason for this is nitrogen toxicity or 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 an embalmed body. And now there will be a very unpleasant description. So, bloating occurs first in the abdominal area, and then spreads throughout the body. Decomposition also discolors the skin and causes blisters. And a foul-smelling liquid begins to ooze from all the natural orifices of the body. Moisture and heat speed up this process.

15. Fertilize the soil.

As the body decomposes, it releases many nutrients which are absorbed into the soil. You won’t believe it, but increasing them can improve the ecosystem, in particular, it will become an excellent fertilizer for nearby growing vegetation.

16. Hair and nails.

You've probably heard more than once that hair and nails supposedly continue to grow after death. Actually this is not true. It turns out that the skin loses moisture, exposing the hair. And the length of nails is usually measured from the tips to the point where they touch the skin. So, as the skin recedes, they appear longer, and it seems as if they are growing.

The following stages of death are distinguished: preagonal state (characterized by circulatory and respiratory disorders), terminal pause (sudden cessation of breathing, sharp depression of cardiac activity, extinction of bioelectrical activity of the brain, extinction of corneal and other reflexes), agony (the body begins to fight for life, short-term breath holding), clinical death (lasts 4-10 minutes), biological death(brain death occurs).

18. Blueness of the body.

It occurs when blood stops circulating throughout 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 tissues. Thus, a reclining body will have spots in the areas on which it rested.

19. Method of burial.

Someone donates their 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 this, the mummies “walk” 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, after death, hearing is the last of all the senses to give up. Therefore, loved ones who mourn the deceased often 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 argue: the reason that a severed head can blink is because of the 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 loss of circulation can kill the brain in minutes, other cells don't need a constant supply. Skin cells, which live on the outer layer of our body, can live for several days. They are in contact with the external environment, and through osmosis they will pull everything they need from the air.

23. Defecation.

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

24. Urination.

After death, the deceased may also urinate. After such relaxation, the process of rigor mortis, described in point No. 2, begins.

25. 21 grams.

This is 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.