Nishi, K; Yamada, M; Wahasugi, C
This is a case report that an autopsy clarified the cause of death for a man who had been found dead at a beach to be a suicide by formalin ingestion. The fluids with an obvious odour of formaldehyde were found in the stomach and air-passage, of which mucosas were fixed. Fixation was also observed on the area contacting with the stomach in the liver, spleen, pancreas and the transverse colon. Formaldehyde, methyl alcohol and formic acid were detected from the serum and organs. The serum concentrations of the compounds were as follows; formaldehyde 1.1, methyl alcohol 13.2 and formic acid 11.79 flmollg. In the urine, methyl alcohol was present but neither formaldehyde nor formic acid was detected. The gastric contents contained formaldehyde and methyl alcohol but not formic acid. The rabbits, which were orally administered 15 ml/kg of formalin, died in agony 12 minutes later. On postmortem study, formaldehyde, methyl alcohol and formic acid were found in the sera (6.7, 10.2 and 15.6 flmollg, respectively) and in the organs (brain; 5.4, 5.4, 4.4, heart muscle; 1.8, 7.0, 10.0, lungs; 0.5, 4.8, 14.4, liver; 17.1, 14.5, 23.1, spleen; 1.9, 5.1, 5.9, and kidneys; 5.8, 6.2, 15.2 flmollg, respectively). According to either these results or the other reports, the deceased of this case appears to have consumed no less than about 100 ml of formalin. It has been reported that formaldehyde, derived from methyl alcohol in cases of its poisoning, or administered intravenously, is rapidly eliminated from the body. Formalin ingested, which causes the severe damages on the gastro-intestinal tract, might be transported to the blood and be metabolized rapidly.