RIGIDITY (RIGOR MORTIS) RIGOR MORTIS RIGOR MORTIS RIGOR MORTIS RIGOR... ...THE RIGIDITY OF THE BODY AFTER DEATH THE MUSCLES SHORTEN AS A RESULT OF SWELLING OF THE COLOIDS OF FIBRILAR MUSCULAR SUBSTANCE - THE RESULT OF POSTMORTAL PRODUCTION OF LACTIC ACID FERMENTATIVE ANAEROBE SPLITTING OF GLYKOGEN BEGINS IN THE 1ST HOUR AFTER DEATH FIRST IT ATTACKS THE CHEWING MUSCLES THEN IT ATTACKS THE UPPER LIMBS, TORS AND AT LAST THE LOWER LIMBS AFTER 6 TO 10 (HOURS) IT EVOLVES COMPLETELY AFTER 24 HOURS THE RIGOR MORTIS DISAPPEARS IT EVOLVES QUICKLY AMONG THE STRONG ONES AND THE ONES THAT DIED QUICKLY IT IS PROTUBERANT IN THESE CASES OF DEATH: - TETANUS, CHOLERA, STRYCHNINE POISONING OR SLOW FADING OF LIFE THE CACHETIC PERSONS - WEAKENED BY THE ILLNESS - THE MANIFESTATIONS ARE USUALY MILD WEAK OR NON-PRESENT BY SEPTIC ILLNESSES IT APPEARS FASTER BY HIGH FEVER THE CARDIAL MUSCLE STIFFENS HALF AN HOUR AFTER DEATH AS IF BY A SYSTOLE - THE BLOOD IS PUSHED OUT OF THE CHAMBER AFTER 24 HOURS THE CARDIAL MUSCLE WEAKENS STRONG DEGENERATIVE PERMUTATIONS OF MUSCULAR FIBRES ARE THE USUAL CAUSE OF TAME SYMPTOMES THE SMOOTH MUSCULATURE OF GASTRO-INTESTINAL TRACT - ALSO SHOWS POSTMORTAL RIGIDITY... STRONG DEGENERATIVE PERMUTATIONS OF MUSCULAR FIBRES ARE THE USUAL CAUSE OF TAME SYMPTOMES THE SMOOTH MUSCULATURE OF UTER AND NEARBY ORGANS - ALSO SHOWS POSTMORTAL RIGIDITY... (FEBRUARY 2006)