Adipocere

ADIPOCERE, grave wax, adipocere (from Latin adeps meaning fat and cera meaning wax), is formed during the delayed decomposition of corpses located in damp soil or water, with insufficient access to atmospheric air. The discovery of adipocere occurred at the end of the 18th century; it was first described by Fourcroy and Thouret (Fourcroy, 1786; Thouret). Under the aforementioned conditions, body fats break down into fatty acids and glycerin with the addition of water. The mixture of fatty acids undergoes various changes under the influence of external conditions. The amount of oleic acid decreases due to its leakage and oxidation; therefore, in old grave wax, it is contained in very insignificant amounts or is completely absent. Palmitic and stearic acids combine with ammonia, formed during the decomposition of protein bodies, with salts of lime, magnesia, etc., and form soaps. Adipocere is a mixture of fatty acids, ammonium and calcium soaps, and other soaps. It melts upon heating, and dissolves in ether and alcohol if it consists of free fatty acids; ammonium soaps also dissolve in alcohol, whereas calcium soaps are insoluble in alcohol. During the formation of adipocere in a corpse, the skeleton is found as if enclosed in a case consisting of a fatty, sometimes hard, sometimes soap-like and porous, sometimes cheesy substance, emitting an odor of rotten cheese or rancid butter. In a dried state, adipocere sometimes resembles lime. Cases are known where experts actually mistook adipocere for lime. The internal organs are in most cases absent, having been destroyed by putrefaction. The process of adipocere formation in a corpse is called saponification (Saponifikation). The question of whether the formation of adipocere occurs exclusively from fat or also from protein substances was resolved differently by various authors. As a result of numerous observations and experimental studies, the fact that protein substances, mainly muscles, participate in the formation of adipocere is currently beyond doubt. First of all, the subcutaneous fat layer undergoes saponification. The onset of saponification in experimental studies and under certain conditions (delayed putrefaction) can appear in the second week; under natural conditions, the process proceeds slowly over several months (in water about half a year, in the ground about a year). A corpse that has undergone saponification can be preserved for many years.