Medical Jurisprudence, Forensic medicine and Toxicology. Vol. 1 by R. A. Witthaus et al.

5. =Cause of Death.=—Putrefaction is delayed after death from chronic

diseases unless they are associated with dropsy. Poisoning by alcohol, chloroform, strychnine, and arsenic retard putrefaction. In the latter case the putrefactive changes seem to stop after they have once commenced, and often a result very similar to mummification is seen. Death from the mineral acids, especially sulphuric, appears to delay putrefaction.