What happens to the body in the coffin after it is buried? This question is of interest not only to those who are interested in mysticism and anatomy. Almost every person on the planet often thinks about this. With the burial process and further development body is associated with a large number of myths and interesting facts, which few people know. In our article you can find information that will allow you to learn more about what happens to the corpse throughout the time it is underground and above it.
General information about processes
Death is natural process, which, unfortunately, cannot yet be prevented. Today, how the body decomposes in a coffin is known only to those who have medical education. However, detailed information about this process is also of interest to many curious people. It is worth noting that various processes occur in a corpse immediately after death. These include temperature changes and oxygen starvation. Already a few minutes after death, organs and cells begin to deteriorate.
Many people 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. There are more than five processes that, due to certain circumstances, occur in a particular body. Surprisingly, the cadaverous smell is often artificially created by specialized organizations. This is necessary for training detection dogs.
Rotting and mummification
In our article you can find detailed information about what happens in the coffin with human body after death. As we said earlier, there are more than five processes that can take place in a given corpse, depending on a wide variety of factors. Most known forms The development of the body after burial is rotting and mummification. Almost everyone has heard about these processes.
Rotting is a labor-intensive process that occurs in the body. As a rule, it begins on the third day after death. Simultaneously with rotting, the formation of a whole list of gases begins. These include hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and many others. It is for this reason that the corpse secretes bad smell. Depending on the time of year, the body may decompose slowly or quickly. At air temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, rotting of a corpse occurs within a maximum period of time. short term. If the body was not buried, its decomposition time on the surface of the earth is 3-4 months. When the rotting process comes to an end, only the bones remain from the corpse, and everything else turns into a mushy mass and eventually disappears completely. It is worth noting that everything that is released at this stage is absorbed by the soil. Thanks to this, it becomes unusually fertile.
What happens to a body in a coffin after death if it undergoes mummification? With this process, the corpse dries out completely. An interesting fact is that during mummification, the initial weight of the body decreases tenfold. As a rule, this process takes place in those corpses that have been in conditions of low humidity for a long time. Such places include an attic or, for example, sandy soil. A mummified corpse can be preserved for quite a long time.
There are only a small number of people who know what happens in a coffin with a human body after death. Nevertheless, this process interests many. In our article you can find out more detailed information about how the body develops after death.
Peat tanning and fat wax formation
The process of fat wax formation occurs if the corpse is buried in damp soil or has been in water for a long time. As a result, the body becomes covered with a fatty layer white, which has a specific and unpleasant odor. Often this process is also called saponification.
Not everyone knows what happens to a person’s body after death in a coffin after 2 months if he is buried in excessively wet soil. After 60 days, the corpse begins to crumble and has a white-yellow tint. If a person’s body is buried in peat soil or located in a swamp, the skin becomes dense and rough. It is worth noting that when tanned, the corpse acquires a brown tint, and the size of the internal organs is significantly reduced. Over time, the bones become soft and resemble cartilage in consistency. By the way, peat tanning can also occur due to the influence of certain factors. These include the temperature of the water and the presence of various microelements and chemicals in it.
The impact of living organisms on a human corpse
In addition to all the above factors, the human body can be destroyed by exposure to animals, insects and birds. Most likely, the body of the deceased is destroyed by fly larvae. Surprisingly, they are capable of completely destroying a corpse in just two months.
Other living organisms that consume the body of a deceased person are ants, cockroaches and carrion eaters. Termites are capable of turning a body into a skeleton in two months. It is no secret that in addition to insects, the human body can be eaten by dogs, wolves, foxes and other predatory animals. In a pond, the corpse is destroyed by fish, beetles, crayfish and other aquatic inhabitants.
Explosive coffins
Not everyone knows what happens to the person in the coffin. As we said earlier, some time after burial, various changes begin to occur with the body. Within a few hours, the corpse begins to release substances, including various gases. If the coffin was not buried, but was placed in a crypt, then it may explode. Many cases have been recorded when relatives came to visit the deceased, and he detonated. However, this can only happen if the coffin is hermetically sealed and not placed in the ground. We strongly recommend that you be careful when visiting the crypts.
Self-destruction
What happens to the body in the coffin after death some time later? This question is asked not only by doctors and criminologists, but also by ordinary people. Surprisingly, over a period of time the body absorbs itself. The thing is that in any organism there are millions of a wide variety of bacteria that do not cause any harm during life. First of all, after death, they completely destroy the brain and liver. This is due to the fact that these organs contain the largest amount of water. After this, the bacteria gradually destroy everything else. It is this process that is associated with the change in color of the skin of the deceased. Once the corpse enters the rigor stage, it becomes completely filled with bacteria. The time and process of self-destruction may differ depending on the set of microbes in a particular organism.
It is worth noting that some bacteria can only be present 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. By the way, all these microelements have a beneficial effect on the composition of the soil.
Larvae
In our article you can find out what happens to the body in the coffin after exposure to the larvae. As we said earlier, in addition to bacteria and other microorganisms, tissues and internal organs are also consumed by insects, animals and birds.
After the self-destruction stage ends, the larvae begin to destroy the corpse. Surprisingly, a female fly is capable of laying about 250 eggs at a time. It is no secret that the body of the deceased emits a pungent and unpleasant odor. It attracts insects that lay large numbers of eggs on the body. Within a day they turn into larvae. Surprisingly, just three flies can devour a corpse with the same speed as a tiger or lion.
The location of certain soil elements or certain microorganisms in the body allows forensic scientists to find out where a person died or was killed. They also claim that in the near future it is the bacterial set of a corpse that may become a new “weapon” for solving many crimes.
Soul of man
Some people think they know what happens to the body in the coffin. They claim that after some time the soul leaves the flesh of the deceased, and when dying, a person sees everything that the living do not see. They also believe that the first three days after death are the most difficult for the deceased. The thing is that for 72 hours the soul is still near the body and is trying to return back. She leaves as soon as she sees the face and body change. After this happens, the soul rushes from home to grave for seven days. In addition, she mourns her body.
At the end of seven days the soul goes to a place of peace. After this, she only occasionally lowers herself to the ground to look at her body. Some people believe that they know what happens to the body and soul in the coffin. However, it is impossible to prove that the spirit actually leaves the flesh.
Diamond production
Death is hard enough to bear loved one. It is even difficult for some to imagine what happens in the coffin with the body. Often people cremate their deceased relatives or even build a crypt for them right in the yard. IN Lately The technology invented by American specialists is gaining particular popularity. Surprisingly, they create diamonds from the ashes and hair of a deceased person. American experts believe that this great way to preserve the memory of the deceased. Today, similar technology is used all over the world. As we said earlier, diamonds can also be made from the hair of the deceased. Today this procedure is extremely popular. Few people know, but just recently a company that makes such jewelry was ordered to make diamonds from Michael Jackson’s hair.
It is worth noting that gems can be created from dust due to the fact that it contains carbon dioxide. The cost of such a service in America is 30 thousand dollars. Many believe that one should not torment oneself with the thought of what happens in the coffin with the body. They argue that it is better to preserve only good memories of the deceased.
Love after death
Everyone deals with the death of a loved one completely differently. There are many cases where people did not bury the deceased, but left him in their house, hiding it. It is known that the man’s wife died, but he did not want to bury her body because he could not let her go because of his great love. Surprisingly, he ordered a transparent coffin and placed his beloved in it, after pouring a special liquid into it. He then built a coffee table out of the coffin.
Another case of strange treatment of a corpse occurred in America. There the woman decided to make a stuffed animal of her husband. She set aside an entire room in the basement for the corpse. There she placed furniture and her husband’s favorite things. She sat the corpse on a chair. The woman often visited him, told him how her day went and asked for advice.
There used to be a kind of tradition. If a person did not find a partner during his lifetime, then he was married after death. It was believed that if this is not done, the soul of the deceased will not find a place for itself and will wander forever.
This tradition existed in Russia as well. If a girl died unmarried, then she was dressed in Wedding Dress and they chose a guy who should follow the coffin to burial. It was believed that thanks to this the soul would find peace. It is worth noting that in some populated areas This tradition is still popular today.
IN ancient Egypt Necrophilia was widespread. This is no coincidence, because the Egyptians believed the myths according to which she impregnated herself with the help of the corpse of Osiris.
Let's sum it up
Death is a natural process. A large number of myths, guesses and interesting facts are associated with it. It's no secret that coping with the loss of a loved one is quite difficult. Because of this, some become depressed and do not make contact with society. There are many cases when people begin to suffer mental disorder. As a rule, they do not bury their relatives, but leave them in the house, hiding it from neighbors and friends. In our article you found out what happens to the body in the coffin. The photos that we have selected will allow you to find out what happens to a person after death.
The topic of what happens to the human body after death is fraught with many interesting facts and is shrouded in myths and legends. What actually happens to the body's tissues when a person dies? And is the process of decomposition so terrible, which, judging by the corresponding 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 creature. This process does not happen all at once; it includes a number of successive stages. Death is expressed in the cessation of blood flow, cessation of nervous and respiratory systems, fading of mental reactions.
Medicine distinguishes the stages of dying:
It is impossible to determine exactly how long it takes a person to die, since all processes are strictly individual, their duration depends on the reason for the end of life. So, for some, these stages are completed within a few minutes, for others they take long weeks and even months.
What does a corpse look like?
What happens to the body of a deceased person in the first minutes and hours after death is familiar to people who have observed these changes. Appearance the deceased and the transition from one state to another depend on natural chemical reactions organism, continuing even after the extinction of vital functions, as well as conditions environment.
Drying
It is observed in previously moistened areas: mucous membranes of the lips, genitals, cornea, as well as places of wounds, abrasions and other skin damage.
The higher the air temperature and the humidity surrounding the corpse, the faster the process. The cornea of the eye becomes cloudy, yellow-brown “Larche spots” appear on the white membranes.
Cadaveric drying allows us to assess the presence of intravital damage to the body.
Rigor
Reduction and subsequent complete disappearance of adenosine triphosphoric acid, a substance formed as a result of the flow of metabolic processes, is considered the main reason why the body of the deceased becomes numb. When internal organs stop functioning, metabolism fades and the concentration of various compounds decreases.
The body assumes a posture characterized by bent elbows upper limbs, in the hip and knee joints- lower and semi-compressed hands. Rigor mortis is recognized as definitive evidence of death.
The active stage begins 2-3 hours after biological death, ends in 48 hours. Processes accelerate when exposed to high temperatures.
At this stage, a decrease in body temperature occurs. How quickly a corpse cools depends on the environment - during the first 6 hours the rate decreases by 1 degree per hour, then by a degree every 1.5-2 hours.
If the deceased is pregnant, a “coffin birth” is possible, when the uterus pushes out the fetus.
Cadaveric spots
They are ordinary hematomas or bruises, as they are clots of dried blood. When biological fluid stops flowing through the vessels, it settles in 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, criminologists 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 emanate from the deceased may be the smell of involuntary bowel movements.
In a few days or hours, if dead body has not been refrigerated, a characteristic cadaveric or decomposition smell appears. Its reason lies in chemical processes- rotting of internal organs causes many gases to accumulate in the body: ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and others, which create a characteristic “aroma”.
Facial changes
Loss muscle tone and relaxation are the reasons for the disappearance of fine wrinkles from the skin, deep ones are less visible.
The face takes on a neutral expression, similar to a mask - traces of pain and torment or joyful bliss disappear, the deceased looks calm and peaceful.
Sexual arousal
An erection in men is a common 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.
Emptying the bowel and bladder
Natural biological processes arise due to loss of tone in the muscles of the body. As a result, the sphincter and urethra relax. It is clear that such a phenomenon requires one of the very first and obligatory rituals of the deceased - ablution.
Weight
In the course of many medical studies, it was possible to establish that a person’s weight changes immediately after death - the corpse weighs 21 grams less. Scientific explanation this is not the case, therefore it is generally accepted that this 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 inaccessible to the attention of ordinary people. However, thanks medical research all stages of decomposition are described in detail in specialized literature, which makes it possible to imagine what a decomposing corpse looks like a month or years after death.
Like the stages of death, each deceased person has decomposition processes individual characteristics and depend on the factors leading to death.
Autolysis (Self-absorption)
Decomposition begins within 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 thins, then thickens and becomes like parchment paper.
The second stage is direct 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 and liquid, which is why the expression “the corpse is dripping.”
The organs that produce these enzymes and therefore have the largest reserves are the first to undergo changes:
- kidneys;
- adrenal glands;
- pancreas;
- liver;
- spleen;
- organs of the digestive system.
It is difficult to predict how long it will take to complete the autolysis cycle. It depends:
- on the temperature at which the corpse is stored - the lower it is, the longer it takes for the tissues to digest themselves;
- from quantity pathogenic microflora, which is involved in the process of absorption of body cells.
Rotting
This is the late post-mortem stage of decomposition, occurring on average after three days and lasting quite a long time. It is from this moment that a specific corpse smell arises, and the body itself swells from the putrefactive gases overflowing it.
If human remains have not been buried, and the temperature surrounding them is high, the corpse rots quite quickly - after 3-4 months only the skeleton remains. Cold can slow down these processes, and freezing can stop them. The simple answer to the question is where do such rotten masses go - they are absorbed into the soil, which subsequently makes it fertile.
Smoldering
Putrefactive processes are characteristic of corpses in the grave and occur without the participation of oxygen. Remains that have to decompose on the surface of the earth are subject to another biological process - decay. 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 a corpse rotting underground.
The reason for the differences is simple - under the influence of oxygen, water evaporates faster from tissues and conditions arise for the growth of mold and the development of invertebrates, which literally “eat away” soft fabrics, causing the decomposed corpse to become a pure 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 delamination skin(maceration), moisture penetrates the body and washes blood and a number of various substances out of it, after which saponification of fats occurs. As a result of chemical reactions, special soaps are formed, which form the basis of fat wax - a solid mass, both similar to soap and cottage cheese.
Fat wax acts on the principle of a preservative: although such corpses do not have internal organs (they are more like a slimy shapeless mass), the appearance of the body is preserved almost completely.
It easily reveals traces of injuries and damage that led to death: opening of veins, gunshot wounds, strangulation and others. It is for this feature that saponification is valued by those who work in forensic medical examination bodies - pathologists and criminologists.
Mummification
At its core, it is the drying out 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 and up to six months in adults, body height and weight decrease, soft tissues become dense and wrinkled (which indicates a lack of moisture in them), and the skin acquires a brownish-brown tint.
Activities of living organisms
The body of each person is inhabited by several million microorganisms, the vital activity of which does not depend on whether he is alive or not. After termination biological processes disappears in the body and immune defense, making it easier for fungi, bacteria and other flora to move through internal organs.
This activity allows the self-absorption process to proceed faster, especially if environmental conditions are favorable for their growth.
Corpse sounds
These phenomena are characteristic of remains that have entered the stage of decay, as they arise as a result of the release of gases filling the body, and these 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, so the deceased is characterized by the presence of wheezing, whistles and groans, which serve as a reason for the creation of terrible myths.
Bloating
Another phenomenon caused by the accumulation of volatile compounds and decomposing internal organs. Since most gases accumulate in the intestines, it is the stomach that swells first, and only after that the process spreads to the rest of the members.
The skin loses color, becomes covered in blisters, and the rotted insides in the form of a jelly-like liquid begin to leak from the natural orifices 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 and exposed, which creates a deceptive impression of growth.
Bones
Bone tissue is the strongest and least susceptible to destruction part human body. Bones don't decompose long 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 broad bones remain virtually unchanged.
Soil fertilization
During 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 overall ecological system of the region where the cemeteries are located, and explains the custom of some ancient tribes of burying the dead at the edges of pastures and vegetable gardens.
What happens to the deceased after death
If the physiological and biological components of death are described in some detail both in specialized medical literature and by individuals interested in the occult, who love corpses and are interested in them various conditions, then the question of the soul or vital energy, the wandering mind, subsequent reincarnation and other phenomena have not been fully explored.
Not a single living person has found answers to the questions of 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 undergo its own special ritual, and his soul is remembered by family and friends. The first commemoration is held 9 days later, or no later than 10 days from the moment of death, again - on the 40th day, and the third - on the anniversary of the death.
In 40 days
Analysis of 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, and acquires a whitish-yellow color. Staying the body in peat soil and swamp makes the skin dense and rough, bones become soft over time, resembling cartilage 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 will be decided by the Supreme Court, not the last argument of which will be the fact of how the burial was carried out. So, before burying the coffin, a service is read over the deceased, during which the remission of all his earthly sins occurs.
In a year
At this time, the processes of decomposition of the body continue: the remaining soft tissues, exposing the skeleton. It is typical that a year after death the cadaveric smell is no longer present. This means that the rotting process is complete. The remains of tissues smolder, releasing nitrogen and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
During this period, the presence of tendons, dry and dense areas of the body can still be observed. Next, a long process of mineralization will begin (up to 30 years), as a result of which the person will be left with bones that are not connected to each other.
The year in Orthodoxy is marked by the final transition of the soul of the deceased to Heaven or Hell and union with previously deceased relatives and friends. It is the first anniversary that is considered the new birth of the soul for eternal life, so the wake is held surrounded by close relatives and all the people dear to the deceased.
Burial methods
Each religion has its own canons and customs, according to which ceremonies of veneration and remembrance of the deceased are held on certain days, as well as the peculiarities of burying the body.
Thus, in Christianity, it is customary to bury the dead in a coffin or immerse them in crypts; in Islam, they wrap them in a shroud and place them in damp earth; in Hinduism and Buddhism, the dead are burned, because they believe that the soul can be reborn and return in a new body, and in Some Indian tribes still maintain the custom of eating the dead.
The list of methods is long, and recently some quite unusual ones have been encountered: dissolving the body in special chemical compounds or hanging in the air for mummification. But two are most popular in our country: burial in a coffin and cremation.
Few even religious people know why they bury dead people in coffins. According to beliefs, the very concept of “deceased” or “deceased” means one who has fallen asleep, resting, that is, one who temporarily rests in anticipation of the re-coming of Christ and the subsequent resurrection.
That is why the body of the deceased is placed in a coffin, which is designed to preserve it until the Second Coming. Key Features are placing a pillow under the head and placing it in the ground facing east, since it is from there that the Savior will appear.
If we consider the burial process from a biological point of view, the wooden box in which the deceased is placed is also considered a natural material, and when the coffin rots, additional fertilizer is formed, which improves the ecosystem.
Cremation is a process called burning a body. It is widespread because it has several advantages:
- saving space, since the urn with ashes takes up less space than a coffin;
- costs for cremation are lower than for a classic funeral;
- 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 to hope for the subsequent Resurrection and acquisition Eternal life In Orthodoxy, such dead people should not live, since the church does not welcome and even condemns cremation.
Another actual question- After how many days are the dead buried? Everything here is individual and depends on the causes and circumstances of the death itself. If there are any questions for the offensive fatal outcome Law enforcement agencies do not, it is better to carry out the burial on the second day after death, since decay processes begin later, the corpse turns black or blue, becomes covered in spots, and smells bad.
If burial is temporarily impossible for some reason, the body should be placed in the cold. Thus, a special temperature in the morgue and treatment of the corpse with appropriate chemicals will help keep it in optimal condition. for a long time. Some relatives try to stop the decomposition by using dry ice or placing the deceased in the cold, which can be done, but only if the funeral is postponed 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 carried out with special permission and compliance with Orthodox customs and canons. Exhumed bodies are quickly redirected to the morgue or to a subsequent burial site
One morning in a Czech hospital, a 69-year-old man died of heart disease. An hour later, as nurses prepared to transport the body to the autopsy laboratory, they noticed that the corpse's skin was unusually warm. Having called a doctor to confirm the fact of death (and the man was indeed dead), the sisters decided to measure the temperature. It turned out that 1.5 hours after death, the body temperature was 40 o C, about five degrees higher than his dying temperature, although it was much colder in the ward itself.
Fearing tissue degradation due to overheating, the doctor and nurses tried to cool the body with ice, so that over time it cooled down to a completely “cadaveric” temperature. A study of this unusual case was published in the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology (link may be temporarily unavailable due to preventative work on the magazine’s website), and has nothing to do with the phenomenon of spontaneous combustion of people. Pathologist Victor Vied argues that post-mortem hyperthermia is a documented but still poorly understood phenomenon.
Where does the heat come from?
In a living organism, heat is generated due to the fact that it breaks down food and releases thermal energy. After death, metabolic processes stop, so the body quickly cools down. This temperature difference is even used by pathologists and forensic scientists to determine exact time death of the patient. Unfortunately, the relationship between body temperature and time of death is not always so clear. In 1839, physician John Davey recorded an unusual high temperatures in the bodies of British soldiers killed in Malta. Some corpses were heated to 46 o C, although Davey suggested that the warm climate may have played a role. Nevertheless, post-mortem overheating has been documented by many other doctors and forensic scientists.
Peter Noble, a microbiologist at the University of Alabama who studies how microbiomes and gene expression change after death, says studies of post-mortem heat have not been rigorous enough. Most of the research was not carried out by experts, and therefore a lot of data remains simply undocumented, and scientific hypotheses cannot be built on the basis of such conclusions. Body temperature is influenced by many factors, including the amount of clothing and body fat thickness, ambient temperature and humidity. Doctors use a number of methods to determine the time of death comparative characteristics, including muscle stiffness, changes in body color, degree of decay, and insect population of the corpse.
So what is the reason for the post-mortem heating of corpses?
Be that as it may, today posthumous overheating of the body remains a mystery, and its causes, frequency of occurrence and the very fact of its existence are still blurred and inaccurate. It is not possible to thoroughly study the phenomenon, if only because it occurs spontaneously and not always in specialized hospitals. Factors that make the body more susceptible after death - cancer, intoxication, brain injury, asphyxia, heart attacks, etc. - also do not make the task easier. As for the heating itself, most experts simply talk about “metabolic processes”, without any specifics. The new study, for example, cites "prolonged tissue and bacterial metabolism and insufficient heat loss" as the cause.
Noble believes that a situation where heated blood (for example, as a result of strong physical activity) stops abruptly due to sudden death, then the heat will indeed remain for a long time, causing the body to heat up. Drugs that manipulate blood flow also play an important role. But rotting bacteria, according to the pathologist, cannot have a significant effect - the immune system is partially active for another 24 hours after death and autopsy, so bacterial growth is usually inhibited during these hours. Symbont bacteria (such as intestinal bacteria) can still continue to break down food, causing some heat. The cells of the body also do not die instantly, and live for some time on internal resources even after cardiac arrest and brain activity. CO2, which accumulates in the process and, not finding a way out, begins to destroy the cells themselves, causing autolysis, or self-digestion. And this process can generate a certain amount of heat.
Summing up
Post-mortem overheating is a mysterious and little-studied phenomenon, although well documented. Many factors, if they coincide in time and place of action, can cause partial heating of the body after death, but there is no exact explanation modern science can't give. Perhaps, if someday doctors manage to simulate a similar situation and cause it artificially, in laboratory conditions, they will be able to give a clear conclusion. Until then, we can only build hypotheses.
A body with an initial temperature \((T_0)\) is placed in a room with a temperature \((T_(S0))\) and begins to cool in accordance with Newton's law with a constant value \(k.\) At the same time, the temperature of the room slowly increases along linear law \[(T_S) = (T_(S0)) + \beta t,\] where \(\beta\) is a known parameter. Determine the moment in time \(\tau,\) when the temperature of the body and the environment are equal.
Solution.
First of all, let us note the difference with the case when a body is cooled in a medium whose temperature is constant. In this case, the body temperature will formally approach the ambient temperature indefinitely. In our problem, the temperature of the medium increases linearly. Therefore, sooner or later the body temperature will become equal to the temperature of the environment, that is, the problem has a solution. We will also assume that a quasi-stationary regime is observed, i.e. all transient processes in the system quickly decay.
In this case, the process can be described by a differential equation: \[\frac((dT))((dt)) = k\left(((T_S) - T) \right).\] According to the conditions of the problem, \((T_S) = (T_(S0)) + \beta t.\) Therefore, the last equation can be written as: \[ (\frac((dT))((dt)) = k\left(((T_(S0)) + \beta t - T) \right))\;\; (\text(or)\;\;T" + kT = k(T_(S0)) + k\beta t.) \] We have obtained a linear differential equation, which can be solved, for example, using an integrating factor: \ The general solution of the equation is written in the form \[ (T\left(t \right) = \frac((\int ((e^(kt))\left((k (T_(S0)) + k\beta t) \right)dt) + C))(((e^(kt)))) ) = (\frac((k(T_(S0))\int (( e^(kt))dt) + k\beta \int ((e^(kt))tdt) + C))(((e^(kt)))).) \] The second integral in the numerator is found by integrating over parts: \[ (\int (\underbrace ((e^(kt)))_(u")\underbrace t_vdt) ) = (\left[ (\begin(array)(*(20)(l)) ( u" = (e^(kt)))\\ (u = \frac(1)(k)(e^(kt)))\\ (v = t)\\ (v" = 1) \end( array)) \right] ) = (\frac(1)(k)(e^(kt))t - \int (\frac(1)(k)(e^(kt))dt) ) = (\ frac(1)(k)(e^(kt))t - \frac(1)(((k^2)))(e^(kt)) ) = (\frac(1)(k)(e ^(kt))\left((t - \frac(1)(k)) \right).) \] Thus, the law of body cooling has the following form: \[ (T\left(t \right) ) = (\frac((k(T_(S0)) \cdot \frac(1)(k)(e^(kt)) + k\beta \cdot \frac(1)(k)(e^(kt)) \left((t - \frac(1)(k)) \right) + C))(((e^(kt)))) ) = ((T_(S0)) + \beta t - \frac( \beta )(k) + C(e^( - kt)).) \] The constant \(C\) is determined from the initial condition \(T\left((t = 0) \right) = (T_0).\ ) Then \ So, the process of body cooling is described by the formula \ At the moment \(\tau,\) the temperatures of the body and the environment become equal to each other: \ Time \(\tau\) is determined from the equation: \[\require(cancel) ( \cancel((T_(S0)) + \beta \tau) = \cancel((T_(S0)) + \beta \tau) - \frac(\beta )(k) + \left(((T_0) - (T_(S0)) + \frac(\beta )(k)) \right)(e^( - k\tau )),)\;\; (\Rightarrow \left(((T_0) - (T_(S0)) + \frac(\beta )(k)) \right)(e^( - k\tau )) = \frac(\beta )(k ),)\;\; (\Rightarrow \frac(k)(\beta )\left(((T_0) - (T_(S0)) + \frac(\beta )(k)) \right) = (e^(k\tau )) ,)\;\; (\Rightarrow \frac(k)(\beta )\left(((T_0) - (T_(S0))) \right) + 1 = (e^(k\tau )),)\;\; (\Rightarrow \tau = \frac(1)(k)\ln \left[ (\frac(k)(\beta )\left(((T_0) - (T_(S0))) \right) + 1) \right].) \] We can estimate the time \(\tau\) for some typical parameter values: \[ ((T_(S0)) = 20^(\circ)C,\;\;\;k = \frac(1)(5)\,\text(min)^(-1),)\;\;\; (\beta = 2\,\frac(\text(deg))(\text(min)),\;\;\;(T_0) = 200^(\circ)C.) \] As a result we get: \ [ (\tau = \frac(1)(k)\ln \left[ (\frac(k)(\beta )\left(((T_0) - (T_(S0))) \right) + 1) \ right] ) = (\frac(1)((\frac(1)(5)))\ln \left[ (\frac((\frac(1)(5)))(2)\left((200 - 20) \right) + 1) \right] ) = (5\ln \left[ (\frac(1)((10)) \cdot 180 + 1) \right] ) = (5\ln 19 ) \ approx (5 \cdot 2.944 ) \approx (14.77\left[ (\text(min)) \right].) \]
