[Studies on medico-legal diagnosis in cold district. 4. An experimental study on the rise of temperature of dead body caused by the radiation of sunlight (author's transl)].
A sausage of 4 cm diameter and 15 cm length was chosen as a model of a part of human extremities. On the snowfield the model was stood on end and its temperature was recorded continuously by means of thermistor thermorecorder. The conclusions are as follows: In fine weather the temperature directly under the sunny surface of a model rose higher than the air temperature by 18 degrees C in the most remarkable case. Even in cloudy weather it rose fairly though lower than in fine weather. The rise of a model temperature became higher in February than in January. Even at a depth of 1.0 cm the temperature rose fairly though lower than directly under the surface. The temperature of the shady side of a model was equal to air temperature or snow temperature. It is presumed from these data that the temperature of a human dead body on snowfield becomes higher and reaches a optimum temperature for putrefaction at least partly by the radiation of sunlight. The presumption is supported by our experiences at the autopsies in cold district.
D001329:Autolysis; D001831:Body Temperature; D003081:Cold Climate; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D013472:Sunlight; D013696:Temperature