Changes of the Eye Following Death Following death, potassium accumulates inside vitreous humor. The buildup of potassium may be used to estimate the time of death.
After death, there is are no reflexes of the pupils to light and the cornea also loses its reflex. The cornea of the deceased also become cloudy after two hours of death. Besides that, the pressure in the eyes start to decrease and the eyeballs become flaccid before it they sink into the orbits of the eyes.
Between a half hour to three hours after death, the eyelid loses its elasticity, the pupil dilates and there is a distinct change in the cornea, which is normally transparent. The exact timing of these changes depends on the state of the eyes (open or closed), ambient temperature, and humidity.
The eyes become cloudy after death because of the lack of oxygen and circulating blood to them. They are no longer moist, and the cornea becomes opaque. Accumulation of electrolytes like potassium in the vitreous humor may also contribute to clouding and can be used by pathologists to estimate the time of death.
Phase 4: Putrefaction
It will usually occur 2-3 weeks after death. 3rd visible sign – purge of putrid bloodstained fluid from body orifices.
Purge fluid is foul smelling, red-brown fluid that may exude from the oral and nasal passages as decomposition progresses, as depicted in the image below.
As our organs decompose and our intestines produce gases, these gases cause our eyes to bulge and our tongues to swell up and loll out of our mouths.
The organ of vision contains a particular substance, retinal purple, on which is imprinted in their exact form these images. They have even been perfectly reconstituted when the eye, after death, is removed and soaked in an alum bath.
A detectable decomposition smell begins within 24-48 hours as putrefaction sets in and intensifies any time between 4-10 days, depending on the conditions. The onset of putrefaction is determined by the green discoloration on the skin near the cadaver's large intestine and/or liver.
Most of the appearance of a dead body over time is due to putrefaction: Bloating. Green discoloration of abdomen. Marbling along blood vessels-a brown black discoloration in blood vessels caused by hydrogen sulfide gas.
The first visible change to the body—occurring 15 to 20 minutes after death—is pallor mortis, in which the body begins to pale.
They Know They're Dying
Dying is a natural process that the body has to work at. Just as a woman in labor knows a baby is coming, a dying person may instinctively know death is near. Even if your loved one doesn't discuss their death, they most likely know it is coming.
This stage is also one of reflection. The dying person often thinks back over their life and revisits old memories.4 They might also be going over the things they regret.
24-72 hours after death — the internal organs decompose. 3-5 days after death — the body starts to bloat and blood-containing foam leaks from the mouth and nose. 8-10 days after death — the body turns from green to red as the blood decomposes and the organs in the abdomen accumulate gas.
As the blood pools, patches appear on the skin within 30 minutes of death. About two to four hours postmortem, these patches join up, creating large dark purplish areas towards the bottom of the body and lightening the skin elsewhere. This may be less apparent on darker skin. This process is called livor mortis.
As the kidneys close down and the heart has more trouble beating effectively, the body will build up fluids. This can result in swelling of the feet, ankles, and legs. Sometimes the hands or face.
After two weeks, the body starts to bloat and change its color to red after the blood present in the body starts to decompose. Once the corpse surpasses the fourth week, you can witness liquefaction in the rest of the remains. The teeth and nails also begin to fall during this time frame.
Although death has historically been medically defined as the moment when the heart irreversibly stops beating, recent studies have suggested brain activity in many animals and humans can continue for seconds to hours.
THE POSTERIOR PART OF THE EYE ONLY
The obvious reason is that the eye is left cosmetically normal for viewing by relatives, although important macular or retinal disease can be examined by the pathologist. We advise, however, that the eye should be removed intact using other methods, if at all possible.
Before the embalming begins, the body is washed in a disinfectant solution. Limbs are massaged to relieve the stiffening of the joints and muscles. Any necessary shaving would also take place at this time. Your loved ones eyes are closed using glue or plastic eye caps that sit on the eye and hold the eyelid in place.
But one thing in common is that the legs are neatly covered either with a blanket or half-covered with the lid of a casket. Why do they cover the legs in a casket? When a person dies, the feet swell, making it difficult for the shoes to fit, which is why the legs are covered.
These gases cause the distension of the abdomen, swelling of the face and external genitalia, and purging of putrefactive liquids from the mouth and nostrils referred to as 'postmortem purging.
The first stage is pallor mortis, where the skin pales due to blood pooling. The second stage is algor mortis, where the body cools over time. The third stage is rigor mortis, where muscles stiffen and contract. The fourth stage is livor mortis, where areas of pooled blood begin to take on a bruised-like discoloration.