The Japanese Art of Self-Preservation

Re:The Japanese Art of Self-Preservation by blinkingled on Tuesday December 01, 2015 @09:14AM (#10655406)

So the monks drank Urushi tea which is poisonous. They also drank water from nearby river which had near fatal doses of arsenic. Both the tea poison and arsenic stay in the body after death preventing decay. They also fasted to remove excess fat and water from the body which would otherwise attract insects and bacteria.

But this still doesn't explain why some monks succeeded and not others.

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Re:The Japanese Art of Self-Preservation by mariuolo on Tuesday December 01, 2015 @02:41PM (#10658140)

In traditional burials, something called adipocere occasionally develops.

Basically body fats become saponified sealing the rest of the body from insects and bacteria, preventing a normal decay.

But it doesn't happen every time, it depends on the percentage of fat, humidity and probably a number of other parameters.

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Re:The Japanese Art of Self-Preservation by tantalor on Tuesday December 01, 2015 @09:22AM (#10655465)

Another variable is the sterility of the tomb, clothing, etc.

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