STAGES OF DECAY
Initial decay (Known as 'autolysis') -
externally the corpse looks okay, but internally the organs are breaking
down. Putrefaction - after approximately
two-three days bacteria are active and the body is swollen with gases and
accompanying odours. Black Putrefaction
- Skin starts to turn black and the corpse collapses as gases escape. Fermentation - Very strong odours with some
surface mould but the body has begun to dry out.
ry Decay - The cadaver has for the most
part dried out and the rate of decay has slowed considerably.
A corpse left above ground is rapidly
broken down by insects and animals,
including bluebottles and carrion fly maggots, beetles, ants and wasps.
A corpse can become a moving mass of
maggots within days, even hours in hot climates. Approximately 150,000 maggots
can be found on an exposed corpse. Left above ground the the main body cavities
burst open and the tissues become liquefied after about a month or so.
It can takes decades for a body to decay,
as there are many factors that affect the rate of decomposition, such as how
well the person was embalmed, what type of casket and vault they were placed
in, humidity, heat, cold, soil type, water level, depth of burial, the
availability of oxygen, accessible by insects or scavengers, body size and
weight, clothing, the surface on which a body rests - all determine how fast a fresh body will
skeletonize or mummify.
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