COOLING OF THE BODY AFTER DEATH A body is not a uniform structure. It’s temperature will not fall evenly and because each body will lie in its own unique environment, each body will cool at a different speed, depending upon the many factors surrounding it.
Variables and factors also affect the rate of cooling of a body and together they show why the sensible forensic pathologist will be reluctant to make any pronouncement on the time of death based on the body temperature alone. These are: 👉 Mass of the body. 👉 Mass/surface area. 👉 Body temperature at the time of death. 👉 Site of reading of body temperature(s). 👉 Posture of the body – extended or curled into a fetal position. 👉 Clothing – type of material, position on the body or lack of it. 👉 Obesity – because fat is a good insulator. 👉 Emaciation – lack of muscle bulk allows a body to cool faster. 👉 Environmental temperature. 👉 Winds, draughts, rain, humidity etc.
