Citation

Mebs D, May M. Proc. Int. Counc. Alcohol Drugs Traffic Safety Conf. 1981; 1981: 594-599.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, The author(s) and the Council, Publisher International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In evaluating the blood alcohol content of human corpses in a state of extensive putrefaction problems often arise due to the fact that alcohol is formed post mortem in the body. Preliminary experiments on animal cadavers (dogs, cats, and rabbits) showed that ethanol is found in considerable amount in the blood besides n-propanol (determined by gas chromatography, head-space method). Using rats as a more elaborated animal model factors influencing the extent of alcohol formation post mortem like starvation or glucose application before death were investigated. Ethanol and to some extent n-propanol are formed in all organs and blood depending on the state of nutrition, i.e. Availability of carbohydrates. Most probably, fungi seem to be involved in the process of alcohol formation. (TRRL)