108
Multiplication of B. anthracis, etc.
of the bacterium in the blood and internal
organs.
It might be thought that early post-mortem
invasion by putrefactive organisms would inhibit
the growth of pathogenic organisms in the carcase.
Thus, with guinea-pigs dead of blackquarter
Leclainche & Vallée [1900] found that the organs
were rapidly invaded by Cl. septicum. That
has not been experienced in this work, where
the only trouble was the occasional develop-
ment in the tissues of B. subtilis. As regards
anaerobic contamination, my experience agrees
with that of Becker [1922] who found that guinea-
pigs, killed from causes other than the injection
of anaerobes and kept below 23ºC. for less than
24 hours, show no anaerobic bacteria in the
subcutaneous tissues, serous cavities or blood.
Nevertheless, it is obviously necessary to make
a proper identification of anaerobes found in
carcases which have been stored in a warm atmos-
phere.
Body-cooling after death. A freshly-dead body
may be likened to a katathermometer. In
medical jurisprudence the rate of cooling gives
a clue to the time of death and is stated to be
almost proportional to the difference between
the temperature of the body and that of the
surrounding air. The rate in man is commonly
put at 4ºF., during the first three hours and 1ºF,
each hour afterwards. Brend [1934] gives 2°
or 3° F. per hour for the first five hours, then
1°F. per hour. However, these are rough
approximations because the rate of cooling
is influenced by a number of factors, such as,
(a) age—the bodies of middle-aged persons cool
more slowly than those of infants and old people,
(b) bodily condition—fat and well-nourished
subjects retain heat longer than the lean and
weakly, (c) manner of death—more rapid cooling
in death from haemorrhage, starvation and
chronic wasting than following fever or in sudden
death of a previously healthy person, (d) sur-
roundings of the body—space and temperature
of air around the body, (e) body coverings, (f)
surface on which the body is lying (bed, stone
floor), (g) more rapid cooling in water than in
air [Modi, 1920]. The period required for the
internal temperature of a corpse to reach that
of the air is given as 8-10 hours by Lyon [1928]
for temperate countries, while Modi puts it at
15-20 hours. The period will tend to be shorter
in India. In a general way the above facts
will also be applicable to animals. From the
few measurements made, it seems that at
temperatures between 60º and 70º F. su
carcases lose heat by as much as 14°F. in
first hour and 3-3-5ºF. per hour during the
five hours. With larger carcases (sheep)
rate of loss was found to be 4°F. in the first h
1.7-2.0°F. hourly in the next five hours
0.8-1.1ºF. hourly during the succeeding
hours.
SUMMARY
1. In the case of Pasteurella and Cl. cham
the organisms continue to multiply in the
for some hours after death. Some quantita
data to this effect are provided, based on cult
examination of tissues removed immedia
after death and again after the carcase had
stored at air temperatures of 60-70°F. or ab
The tissue mostly used was bone-marrow,
it can be easily manipulated. With bl
quarter, the microscopical examination of
materials agrees with the cultural finding
2. With blackquarter in sheep and guit
pigs, at the time of death the organisms out
the lesion of inoculation are usually in the
tative state. After some increase in num
—of variable degree but sometimes 50- to 230
—they sporulate. If death is delayed,
may have already sporulated before death.
fresh local lesion contains enormous numl
of spores ; a culture may develop from an amo
estimated at 0.0000001 gm.
3. With acute pasteurellosis in rabbits
organisms continue to multiply in the
marrow during the first six hours, after wl
their numbers appear to remain stationary
to about 48 hours when they begin to ded
At the peak, the numbers may run to over 2.
million per gm.
4. With anthrax, cultural results were err
and there was no evidence that post-mo
multiplication is a constant feature.
5. Multiplication of pathogenic bacteria
the carcase is no doubt favoured by a wan
atmosphere, since body cooling will be retati
Some data on the rate of cooling of carcase
different sizes are provided.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The assistance in this work of Messrs
Ali Hashmi, L. V. P., and S. B. Hassan, G. B. V.
is acknowledged.