# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**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, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/41 "2012-09-11T23:59:01Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > … I would take the human soup over paint thinner, chemicals, etc that people routinely throw down their drains. Did you study organic chemistry or microbiology? ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/42 "2012-09-12T02:32:23Z")
> [@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.) This does smack of the Friend of a Friend story. It makes a great story, but no one can seem to find actual evidence that it did happen. While it is interesting and amusing(??) to some degree, I’d like a citation of some sort before I believe it and start spreading it around as true. ---
**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 12, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/43 "2012-09-12T03:30:24Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Because then what would they have put in the open casket at the funeral, dummy? > > I suppose they could have improvised with oxtail soup… How would the remains be disposed of (sorry, I couldn’t think of a better term) in a case like that? Would they just be “poured” into a casket, then buried? I doubt she’d be 100% liquid; unless her bones somehow disolved. Would cremation still be possible? ---
**Author:** ![al27052](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@al27052](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/al27052)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/44 "2012-09-12T03:41:53Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > How would the remains be disposed of (sorry, I couldn’t think of a better term) in a case like that? Would they just be “poured” into a casket, then buried? I doubt she’d be 100% liquid; unless her bones somehow disolved. Would cremation still be possible? This thread is going to make me puke. I need to quit visualizing what I’m reading about. ---
**Author:** ![jmrcm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7c8e57/32.png) [@jmrcm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmrcm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/45 "2012-09-12T03:56:01Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > 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. There is a name for that mould. It’s mentioned in Cormac McCarthy’s Child of God. It grows on corpses. > [@](#): > > At some point, doesn’t the decay stop? Yes, and no. It depends. If you’ve been mummified or petrified then you’re body could be good for centuries. > [@](#): > > Also, I understand that embalmers used to use chemicals including arsenic, zinc, and lead-presumably, these would kill off any bacteria-would they? It’s to do with lots of different conditions. If you die in bed, in a warm room. Then most likely you will rot quickly and leak. If the room is drier and cooler, you may petrify, You could be like a dry cured ham. . People have been dead on their couches for years before anyone found them. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/46 "2012-09-12T04:33:38Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > 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. The first 4, which I expect to contribute \>50% of total fluids, are routinely disposed of in toilets. ---
**Author:** ![StJoan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@StJoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StJoan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/47 "2012-09-12T15:41:22Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > 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! Did you spot a newly minted god of [Guilt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Dark_Tea-Time_of_the_Soul) go skipping away as your fridge was transported to its final resting place? 🙂 (Sorry about your loss, but the fridge part of it reminded me of Douglas Adam’s “The long, dark tea-time of the soul”). ---
**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 12, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/48 "2012-09-12T21:33:46Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > The first 4, which I expect to contribute \>50% of total fluids, are routinely disposed of in toilets. Sewage does not go down the same pipes as tub water. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/49 "2012-09-13T03:21:11Z")
Don’t you people watch [Bones](http://www.fox.com/bones/)? ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/50 "2012-09-13T03:29:06Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Sewage does not go down the same pipes as tub water. It all flows into the same sewer pipe in the middle of the street. And unless you specifically plumb the house to separate the grey water for irrigation purposes, everything “down the drain” on a septic system all drains into the septic tank. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/51 "2012-09-13T03:38:38Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Sewage does not go down the same pipes as tub water. They don’t? You mean my bathroom has 4 pipes: cold water, hot water, shower water and sewerage? What countries does this apply in? And as VOW said, I don’t think the sewerage treatment plant handles 2 streams. ---
**Author:** ![cynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@cynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynyc)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/52 "2012-09-13T19:53:35Z")
Okay. Here’s a story. One of my interests is “treasure hunting.” I’m even available for “where did grandpa hide the money?”. I’ve done this for people. My dream gig would be getting a call for help with the state of an elderly survivalist-hoarder. Anyway, I ran into a guy online who was stuck with the estate of a character as described above. He was a drop-out who had been a surgeon. And they had the rotting, packed with meat, freezer problem. I though they should go through that meat. I don’t know what they did. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/53 "2012-09-14T00:12:03Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > They don’t? You mean my bathroom has 4 pipes: cold water, hot water, shower water and sewerage? What countries does this apply in? > > And as VOW said, I don’t think the sewerage treatment plant handles 2 streams. Some newer homes have ‘gray water’ streams; typically, the water can be use for on-site irrigation. I don’t know if they do this in cities or in rural leach-field only areas. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/54 "2012-09-14T03:08:15Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Some newer homes have ‘gray water’ streams; typically, the water can be use for on-site irrigation. I don’t know if they do this in cities or in rural leach-field only areas. Typically, the grey water used for irrigation comes from the laundry. Sink and tub/shower water can be considered as grey water, but many people have garbage disposals which would make for putrid irrigation. And what people do in tubs/showers is often not considered to be grey water. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/55 "2012-09-14T03:25:27Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Typically, the grey water used for irrigation comes from the laundry. Sink and tub/shower water can be considered as grey water, but many people have garbage disposals which would make for putrid irrigation. > > And what people do in tubs/showers is often not considered to be grey water. > ~VOW Huh? Yes, greywater is exactly water from bathing, as well as from dishes and laundry (except for diapers). [http://greywateraction.org/greywater-recycling](http://greywateraction.org/greywater-recycling) ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/56 "2012-09-14T03:26:04Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Typically, the grey water used for irrigation comes from the laundry. Sink and tub/shower water can be considered as grey water, but many people have garbage disposals which would make for putrid irrigation. > > And what people do in tubs/showers is often not considered to be grey water. > ~VOW Are we talking about the U.S.? Am I right that this is mostly a suburban thing? ---
**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 14, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/57 "2012-09-14T03:51:33Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > … > > And what people do in tubs/showers is often not considered to be grey water. > ~VOW Unless you take a very bad fall. ---
**Author:** ![cynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@cynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynyc)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143/58 "2012-09-17T22:54:31Z")
Now if I was a mod, I would split this off to gray-water/irrigation/septics or something. Just saying. I would like to mod but only on section: “What is this.?” 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-human-body-fluids/634143.md?page=2)