INCAP ABILITY OF FORMALIN BASED FIXA TIVE T O KILL MAGGOT IN MUTILA TED HUMAN CARRION

Oladele, A.A and Sanya, J. O and Raji, M.O and Ekundina, V . O (2015) INCAP ABILITY OF FORMALIN BASED FIXA TIVE T O KILL MAGGOT IN MUTILA TED HUMAN CARRION. International Journal of Anatomy and Research, 3 (1). pp. 1-5. ISSN 2321- 4287

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Abstract

Background: Embalming is a process used to temporarily preserve a human cadaver to forestall decomposi tion and make it suitable for di splay at funerals; thus, are agents that prevent autolysis and putrefaction. The outbreak of maggots from a heap of inadequately embalmed bodi es due to deep cuts and bodies involved in inferno, necessitated the need to re-investigate the efficacy of formalin based embalmi ng fl uid and i ts inabil ity to kill maggots. Methodology: Various strength of Formaldehyde, Xyl ene, Kerosene, and, Lime flui d, Isopropanol , Gamalin 20, Potassi um ferrocyanide, and Physiol ogical saline as control were used i n the investigation. In the present investigation, Two maggots under the same atmospheric conditi on were put in each of the ten selected chemical reagents/solutions, including Li me, Kerosene, and the Gamalin 20 that are naturally available were ini tiall y di spensed into ten glass universal containers. Maggot movements in each reagent solution were criti cal ly observed. Result: Maggots death occurred within the fi rst ten mi nutes in test number three groups III that contains Concentrated Formalin and Xylene and Maggots died after fifteen minute of the experiment, but maggots did not died until about eight hours after the test in two of the experiment. Discussion: Results of this investigation showed cl early that Maggots were not killed as soon as expected by the embalmer when ordinary ten percent alcoholic formalin embalming fluid is used. Equal volume of concentrated formalin plus Xylene was found out to be effective at ki l ling maggot instantly . Conclusion: It is therefore advisable to use Xylene plus Conc. Formalin when preserving cadaver i nfested with Maggot and this could at the same time prevent the occurrence of Maggots Infestation and better preservation of mass of burnt muti lated corpses in our Mortuary .

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