title: [Duration of the fire and degree of charring of a burned cadaver].
abstract: A 37-year-old woman was found dead severely charred in the bedroom of her house. The autopsy revealed as cause of death a strangulation of the neck. On the basis of the decomposition of the body the experts were asked for a statement on the duration of burning. There seems to be only little medicolegal experience on the duration of burning to a defined state of decomposition. Based on observations during cremations published in the literature and experimental burnings a burning time of approximately 20 minutes (after temperatures of more than 700 degrees C had been reached) is supposed to be sufficient to produce the present state of the body.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology*; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013957:Thyroid Cartilage / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology
vernacular_title: Branddauer und Verkohlungsgrad einer Brandleiche.