The microscopic (optical and SEM) examination of putrefaction fluid deposits (PFD). Potential interest in forensic anthropology

Abstract

This article describes the potential interest in physical and forensic anthropology of the microscopic analysis of residues of putrefaction fluid, a calcified deposit frequently found associated with bone rests. Its sampling and analysis seem straightforward and relatively reproducible. Samples came from archeological material (Monterenzio Vecchia, an Etruscan necropolis from the north of Italy dated between the fifth and third century B.C.; body rests of Agnès Sorel, royal mistress died in 1450 A.D.; skull and grave of French King Louis the XI and Charlotte of Savoy dated from 1483 A.D.). All samples were studied by direct optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy. Many cytological, histological, and elemental analysis were possible, producing precious data for the identification of these remains and, in some cases, the cause of death.

The heart of Blessed Anne-Madeleine Remuzat: a biomedical approach of “miraculous” heart conservation

“…-The granular substance from the inner part of the heart was submitted to a microscope examination. The methodology employed for the sampling and preparation was the exact same one that of putrefaction fluid deposits [3], and dental calculus [4]: immersion in a solution of 10% diluted acetic acid, and 10% diluted formaldehyde for 48 h, sampling of 200 μl from the supernatant, and centrifugation (800 turns per minute for 10 min) in order to obtain two spots per slide. Four slides were produced, all were colored by the technique of hematoxylin-eosin-saffron after fixing of the spots to the air.…”

Ancient pathogens in museal dry bone specimens: analysis of paleocytology and aDNA

“…Previous studies on microbes within historical bone tissue mainly focussed on the remnants of microbial activity [32,36], the pathologic lesions caused by microbial infection [68,83], or the identification of ancient DNA (aDNA) from pathogens [30,33,58]. However, recent studies on histopathology of historical dry bone provide organic, more 1 3 precisely cellular, bacterial and fungal evidence [16,17,64,71]. With regard to the treponematoses, molecular and microscopic diagnosis in human skeletal remains continues to be challenging [2,86].…”

“…To date, only few studies have focussed on the morphological identification of microbes from human skeletal remains [13,16,22,29]. Ancient non-nucleotidic biomolecules can retain integrity through the decay process and their chemical character may therefore remain detectable [80].…”

“…Ancient non-nucleotidic biomolecules can retain integrity through the decay process and their chemical character may therefore remain detectable [80]. Reports are available on the microscopic detection of fungi [13], bacteria [22], human DNA [28], and a multitude of normal human cells [10,16,42,72,76] deriving from human skeletal remains.…”

Neither plague nor malaria, but dysentery as a cause of death for St. Louis

“…Moreover, it has to be said that the identification of Plasmodium within the remains of a dead body, even of archeological origin, does not imply a death related to malaria: Plasmodium vivax was identified within the putrefaction fluid deposits [3] of the French queen Charlotte de Savoie (who died in 1483 at the age of 42 years, of a respiratory disease) and the official King's mistress Agnès Sorel (who died in 1450 at the age of 28 years, of acute mercury poisoning) independently from their cause of death [4].…”