The eyeballs now become placid and if the eyelids are not closed the conjunctiva and cornea become brown and dry. The pressure of gases developed by decomposition in the internal cavities not infrequently forces a greater or less quantity of frothy, reddish fluid or mucous from the mouth and nostrils, distends the abdomen, and, if excessive, may lead to changes in the position of the blood in the vessels and even a moderate amount of displacement of the internal organs.
After five or six days, under ordinary circumstances, the entire surface is discolored to a green or a brown. After this the epidermis becomes loosened through the formation of gases and separating of fluids beneath, and the tissues become flaccid.
The abdomen and the thorax may be greatly distended, and the features distorted and scarcely recognizable from swelling, and the hair and nails loosened.
On the interior of the body, those soft and less compact tissues, or those tissues in which there is a great amount of fluid, are the first to decompose. This may be noticed by examining the walls of the trachea, esophagus and the intestines and noting the change in color.
Decomposition of the soft and liquid portions of the body take place almost immediately after the death of the body, and then follow in rapid succession the decomposition of the semi-solids and finally the solids. Beyond this stage of putrefaction, the consecutive changes can scarcely be followed with accuracy.
The putrefactive changes can not be said to begin at the same place in all bodies, as the conditions under which death occurred will regulate that. The rapidity with which these changes follow one another depends upon a variety of conditions such as temperature, moisture, access of air and the diseases which have preceded or caused death.
Various temperature relations will effect greatly the more or less rapid decomposition of the body. Bodies dying in mid-summer are decomposed much more quickly than those dying in mid-winter.
Moisture added to the temperature relation will hasten the rapidity of the decomposition as can be noticed in those localities with a high temperature but moist climate that the decomposition takes place very quickly. In those climates with high temperature, but dry or absence of moisture, the tendency is to dry up the tissues, and instead of putrefaction we have mummification as the result. This last statement then serves to explain the reason for the high state of preservation in the forms of mummification as exists in those countries like Egypt with their extremely hot and dry climates.
Exposure added to the temperature and the moisture relations adds greatly to the rapidity of the decomposition. A moist climate with a hot temperature and free exposure favors rapid decomposition. We notice that putrefaction progresses much more rapidly in the air than in the water and in the earth its progress is slower than in the water. The more exposed a body is then, to the elements, especially the air, the more rapid will be the decomposition.
An elevated temperature and the presence of air and moisture hasten the advent and progress of putrefactive changes.