Editing Putrefaction (section)

==Factors affecting putrefaction==
Various factors affect the rate of putrefaction.<ref name="Vij2008">{{cite book|author=Vij|title=Textbook of Forensic Medicine And Toxicology: Principles And Practice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vp8FAsnfGF4C&pg=PT143|date=January 1, 2008|publisher=Elsevier India|isbn=978-81-312-1129-8|pages=142–4}}</ref><ref name="Biswas2012">{{cite book|author=Gautam Biswas|title=Review of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JdZN69AecoC&pg=RA2-PA19|year=2012|publisher=JP Medical Ltd|isbn=978-93-5025-896-5}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
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===Exogenous (external)===
Environmental temperature: Decomposition is accelerated by high atmospheric or environmental temperature, with putrefaction speed optimized between {{Convert|21|C|F}} and {{Convert|38|C|F}}, further sped along by high levels of humidity. This optimal temperature assists in the chemical breakdown of the tissue and promotes microorganism growth. Decomposition nearly stops below {{Convert|0|C|F}} or above {{Convert|48|C|F}}.

Moisture and air exposure: Putrefaction is ordinarily slowed by the body being submerged in water, due to diminished exposure to air. Air exposure and moisture can both contribute to the introduction and growth of microorganisms, speeding degradation. In a hot and dry environment, the body can undergo a process called mummification where the body is completely dehydrated and bacterial decay is inhibited.

Clothing: Loose-fitting clothing can speed up the rate of putrefaction, as it helps to retain body heat. Tight-fitting clothing can delay the process by cutting off blood supply to tissues and eliminating nutrients for bacteria to feed on.

Manner of burial: Speedy burial can slow putrefaction. Bodies within deep graves tend to decompose more slowly due to the diminished influences of changes in temperature. The composition of graves can also be a significant contributing factor, with dense, clay-like soil tending to speed putrefaction while dry and sandy soil slows it.

Light exposure: Light can also contribute indirectly, as flies and insects prefer to lay eggs in areas of the body not exposed to light, such as the crevices formed by the eyelids and nostrils.<ref name="Vij2008"/>

===Endogenous (internal)===
Age at time of death: Stillborn fetuses and infants putrefy slowly due to their sterility. Otherwise, however, younger people generally putrefy more quickly than older people.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Condition of the body: A body with a greater fat percentage and less lean body mass will have a faster rate of putrefaction, as fat retains more heat and it carries a larger amount of fluid in the tissues.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://forensicpathologyonline.com/e-book/post-mortem-changes/putrefaction|title=Putrefaction|last=Rao|first=Dinesh|date=2013|website=Dr. Dinesh Rao's Forensic Pathology|publisher=forensicpathologyonline.com|access-date=March 29, 2016}}</ref>

Cause of death: The cause of death has a direct relationship to putrefaction speed, with bodies that died from acute violence or accident generally putrefying slower than those that died from infectious diseases. Certain poisons, such as [[potassium cyanide]] or [[strychnine]], may also delay putrefaction, while chronic alcoholism and cocaine use will speed it.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

External injuries: Antemortem or postmortem injuries can speed putrefaction as injured areas can be more susceptible to invasion by bacteria.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

===Delayed putrefaction===
Certain poisonous substances to the body can delay the process of putrefaction. They include:
*[[Carbolic acid]] (Phenol)
*[[Arsenic]] and [[antimony]]<ref name="Sharma2007">{{cite book|author=Sharma|title=Concise Textbook of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_zAwlKX_zNwC&pg=PA49|date=January 1, 2007|publisher=Elsevier India|isbn=978-81-312-1145-8|pages=49}}</ref>
*[[Strychnine]]<ref name="Sharma2007" />
*[[Strychnos nux-vomica|Nux vomica]] (plant)
*[[Zinc chloride]], ZnCl<sub>2</sub>
*[[Morphine]]<ref name="Sharma2007" />
*[[Aconitine]]

===Embalming===
[[Embalming]] is the process of preserving human remains by delaying decomposition. This is acquired through the use of embalming fluid, which is a mixture of formaldehyde, methanol, and various other solvents. The most common reasons to preserve the body are for viewing purposes at a funeral, for above-ground interment or distant transportation of the deceased, and for medical or religious practices.