Experimental investigations in post-mortem protein degradation.

Samples of thoracic fluid were obtained at regular intervals from the putrefying bodies of dead dogs. For quantitative estimation of the proteins two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis was employed and for the amino acids and amines two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The results lead to speculation that the initially lagging proteolytic changes are due to catalysis of autoenzymes, whereas bacteriological processes are responsible for a distinct acceleration from the 20th day after death. At this time the amino-acid concentrations showed a marked increase, which is followed by a maximum of bacterial growth, that ultimately leads to a sudden regression of amino acids. Simultaneously amines appear. The drying up of the thoracic cavity after 35 to 45 days marks the change from liquefaction to the terminal decay.