Studies on the composition of gases in the post-mortem body: animal experiments and two autopsy cases.

ABSTRACT

The composition of gases was measured in a cadaver, particularly in the stomach, using gas chromatography. High concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) and a low concentration of methane (CH4) were found. At an environmental temperature of 25 degrees C, the concentrations of CO2 and H2 were approximately 80% and 10%, respectively, at an advanced stage of putrefaction, while at an environmental temperature of 15 degrees C the concentrations were approximately 60% and 35%, respectively. These gases were not produced until the fourth day at 15 degrees C, but after that the volume of gases was greater than that produced at 25 degrees C, the cadaver becoming greatly enlarged. Oxygen (O2) in air injected into a body disappeared during putrefaction. This study revealed that H2 was the main component of inflammable gas in a dead body. The mechanisms of production of the gases are also discussed.