Distribution of Orally Ingested Hydrochloric Acid in the Thoracoabdominal Cavity After Death

I The authors encountered a case of hydrochloric acid (HCI) poisoning, thought to be caused by oral ingestion of concentrated HCI. Coagulation of the surface of the tongue and the mucosa of the pharynx, esophagus, and stomach were observed at forensic autopsy. An overabundance of CI- was found in the gastric contents, corresponding to 8.19 mL of concentrated HCI. This suggested to be a lethal oral dose of concentrated HCI, and the cause of death was determined to be HCI poisoning. Measuring the pH and concentrations of various ions in body fluids and contents of the alimentary tract enabled postmortem diffusion of HCI to be determined.