Issue 2, Page 4

maskdt on Feb. 15, 2016

I found out recently that exploding corpses actually are a problem in many cemeteries throughout the world. It's almost always caused by having too good a seal on the casket or in the mausoleum, which results in a buildup of pressure as gases are released while the body decomposes. Get enough pressure, and…yeah. It's pretty gross, but thankfully pretty harmless to the living unless you get it in your head to ingest the stuff. It's supposed to be the single foulest smelling substance on the planet, according to the people unlucky enough to have to clean it up.

Because of that phenomenon, things like watertight seals aren't as widely recommended anymore (I don't see the point in trying to keep a body dry and “pretty” if it's never going to be exhumed, to be honest), and modern crypts and mausoleums are starting to be designed to have some ventilation and drainage like much older ones used to.

Just knowing these kind of facts is why I'm not allowed in “polite” company anymore. But hey, at least I get to use whatever fork I want to eat my salad.