# Dead Human Body Fluids **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143 "2012-09-09T00:00:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/21 "2012-09-10T05:21:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I used to work with a woman who had once been employed at a funeral home. She told me of the Bucket Lady. It seems a woman had been lounging in her very hot hot tub, drinking wine and having taken a tranquilliser, and drowned. She was bubbling away for two weeks before someone found her. Had to be taken out with a bucket. (A ladle would have been too slow.) Why don’t they just… pull the plug? ---
**Author:** ![eightysix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@eightysix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eightysix)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/22 "2012-09-10T13:04:46Z")
For bodies above ground there’s two general paths of decomp - the wet and the dry. All else equal, larger bodies and more humid conditions favor the wet, thinner bodies and drier conditions the dry. The wet can be very wet indeed. In addition to the leakage of aqueous based fluids already mentioned, body fat also liquefies and turns into a yellow oily fluid. That’s the stuff that is really hard to clean. As it seeps it separates from the aqueous fluid which by virtue of heme has a dark purple color. The whole thing starts to resemble balsalmic and olive oil. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/23 "2012-09-10T13:25:46Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Who…does that? I mean, what sort of job title is it when you’re “the guy with the bucket who drains the hot tub of dead lady soup”? Are they in the Yellow Pages? > > I mean, I’m very, very glad there is someone who does that, I just can’t imagine how I’d find them were it ever to come up… > > ETA: Um…don’t need answer fast. I’d imagine the actual remains are taken care of by the coroner or somebody. It’s all the rest of it that you need crime scene cleaners for. You know, the drippings. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/24 "2012-09-10T14:20:22Z")
Mmmm, Yorkshire pudding. With nice green salad and dressing. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_G7subs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rich\_G7subs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_G7subs)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/25 "2012-09-10T14:54:15Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Mmmm, Yorkshire pudding. > > With nice green salad and dressing. Oh man…guess I should NOT have read this thread whilst eating lunch. Got a case of the urps now. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/26 "2012-09-10T18:58:08Z")
> [@sahirrnee](#): > > Ever watch the show ‘Crime Scene Cleanup’? There are companies who specialize in this. I actually had occasion to call on one of them this summer. Mom passed away in July (Keep reading, this isn’t going where you think) and in dealing with everything around the house, I never thought to check the freezer in the garage to make sure it was still running properly. Apparently, the cooling unit went bad tho the power was still on. I went out who knows how long after to find everything had thawed & rotted & that maggots were around the rubber seal. After calling various garbage & recycling services & getting no one willing to deal with it, I thought “maggots=dead bodies=crime scene cleaners!” I called the police department, explained the situation, and they suggested ServPro, a national disaster/crime cleaning business that had a local office. At the end of the day, a rep came over & for $50, belted the freezer shut, loaded it into his truck, & took it away. I expected & would have gladly paid $300. Yay for ServPro! ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/27 "2012-09-10T19:52:53Z")
You should have opened the fridge. You know, for science. ---
**Author:** ![cynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@cynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynyc)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/28 "2012-09-10T19:59:08Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Why don’t they just… pull the plug? LOL! Thanks. I needed that! ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_G7subs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rich\_G7subs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_G7subs)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/29 "2012-09-10T20:00:21Z")
> [@PacifistPorcupine](#): > > You should have opened the fridge. You know, for science. Been there, done that. We had a basement fridge go out on us when I was a 16. My friend and I donned gloves, face shields and pinched our noses and dove in to liberate a 12 pack of beer that was in there before my dad taped it shut and carried it to the dump. We knew he wouldn’t open it to look in there and would never miss it. It was horrible, but the beer was good! (after we wiped the cans down with rubbing alcohol ) ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/30 "2012-09-10T20:02:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/84/if-i-dug-up-a-body-what-would-it-look-and-smell-like): I saw an exhumation (YouTube) of a body that was buried in 1920. When they opened the box, the guy was in good shape-except his skin was covered in mold. At some point, doesn’t the decay stop? Also, I understand that embalmers used to use chemicals including arsenic, zinc, and lead-presumably, these would kill off any bacteria-would they? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/31 "2012-09-10T20:25:53Z")
> [@PacifistPorcupine](#): > > You should have opened the fridge. You know, for science. Oh, I did! A big wave of stench came out & then I saw the bagged meat was in pools of liquid & the bags bloated with gas. I was all ready to put on a mask, gloves & aprons & start scooping it all into heavy duty trash bags. Then I saw the little moving white things… then I knew this was a job for professionals. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/32 "2012-09-10T20:28:42Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Why don’t they just… pull the plug? I would imagine anti-pollution laws. I’m sure dead things decay in the water system all the time, but it’s different to deliberate send a tub of person-soup into it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/33 "2012-09-10T20:55:21Z")
Plus, I mean, don’t they have to test the person soup and “autopsy” it? Make sure she wasn’t poisoned? (In fact, I’d imagine that’s how they knew she took pills and wine, or I suppose perhaps the bottles were still out.) ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/34 "2012-09-11T02:01:47Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I would imagine anti-pollution laws. I’m sure dead things decay in the water system all the time, but it’s different to deliberate send a tub of person-soup into it. Is person-soup different from, say, fecal matter? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/35 "2012-09-11T02:34:16Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Plus, I mean, don’t they have to test the person soup and “autopsy” it? Make sure she wasn’t poisoned? (In fact, I’d imagine that’s how they knew she took pills and wine, or I suppose perhaps the bottles were still out.) Yeah, I assume the wine bottle & glass and pill bottle would still be sitting beside the tub where she left them. Wouldn’t most of the water evaporate though? Especially after 2 weeks on high heat? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/36 "2012-09-11T02:38:20Z")
Humans have all kind of bacteria and viruses and fungi growing in and on them. Human remains aren’t killing them off, with oxygen or the living immune response. Intestinal flora and fauna are less varied and waste water systems are designed to deal with the most common. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/37 "2012-09-11T13:02:27Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Yeah, I assume the wine bottle & glass and pill bottle would still be sitting beside the tub where she left them. Wouldn’t most of the water evaporate though? Especially after 2 weeks on high heat? 😕 Well, there’s the added fluid she put into the tub. Perhaps it was more of a people _sludge_. Depends on how humid it was, too - until yesterday here it didn’t come out of the 90%+ range for weeks and weeks, so the air wouldn’t hold all that much more water. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/38 "2012-09-11T13:25:51Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Why don’t they just… pull the plug? Because then what would they have put in the open casket at the funeral, dummy? I suppose they could have improvised with oxtail soup… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/39 "2012-09-11T15:11:27Z")
Open tureen. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/40 "2012-09-11T17:24:08Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Is person-soup different from, say, fecal matter? Well… Mucous Blood Urine Feces Cerebrospinal fluid Sputum Vireous Humor Quite the brew. On the other hand, I would take the human soup over paint thinner, chemicals, etc that people routinely throw down their drains. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143.md?page=3)