Water content of blood from corpses in advanced decomposition

In order to check in which extent the water content of blood from corpses is influenced by putrefaction, 90 in vitro putrescent, mechanical homogenized blood tests were investigated. Therefore, soon after the withdrawal of blood, 2 and 6 wk later, the water content with the dry weight method, and the reducing substances with the Widmark method were measured. In 45 cases, bacteriological tests were made, too. The result is that the water content of blood from corpses in case of putrefaction generally is increasing. The increase of the measured values exceeded 1% (g/g) in almost the half of the cases, four times differences of about 3% (g/g) between the first investigation and the analysis after 6 wk were registered, one time each of 4.5% (g/g) and of almost 5% (g/g). The changes of the reducing substances, however, do not render a possible conclusion about the variations of the water content by putrefaction. This refers to the different bacterial flora in the blood tests from corpses.