Adipocere

As Adipocire (Latin adeps, adipis - Fat and French cire - wax) or body lipid (also body wax, grease, wax) is a mixture of substances referred to, which can occur in bodies 4 to 6 weeks after death, lying in wet or humid conditions. It occurs due to changes especially in the subcutaneous adipose tissue. By hydrolysis ( saponification ) of the body fat ( neutral fats ) are formed free fatty acids, the alkali salts of fatty acids and glycerol. On the origin of lipid body of air is necessary so Adipocire mainly occurs in water bodies, but also in the bodies ( body guard ), which are in very wet graves.

The colloquial terms fat or body wax are false, since only low in fat and absolutely no wax is contained, but it is a mixture of fatty acids, alkali metal salts of fatty acids and some glycerin.

The emergence of Adipocire based on a type of fat hardening, which is due to the fact that bacteria are the long-chain fatty acids, resulting from the decomposition (hydrolysis ) of the storage fat in large quantities, can degrade only limited by oxidation with oxygen deficiency ( chain shortening by only 2 C- atoms). Then only the enzymatic hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids is possible with production of energy. The result is, for example, of the unsaturated oleic acid (FP 17 ° C) the saturated palmitic acid, which has a much higher melting point (FP ~ 60 ° C). The relatively hard, unsaturated fatty acids form a kind of air-and water-impermeable protective layer of wax to mortar-like consistency which reduced decomposition of the corpse or even prevents the subcutaneous tissue. In this way one has, removed from graves, cause the waterproof clay layers after 30 to 35 years, the body, which were almost completely preserved. Even the organs are often not yet received. Adipocire is stable for centuries.

Thomas Browne (1605-1682), an English philosopher, is credited with the first mention of Adipocire in 1658:

Have " In a water- soaked corpse, which lay buried for ten years in a cemetery, we met a deposition of fat, which can be the saltpeter of the soil and the salt and the laugige fluid of the corpse large pieces coagulate body fat to the consistency of soap of the toughest variety: a portion of which remains with us. "

• Forensic Medicine