A Corpse’s Flesh Has Transformed into Soap [Gross]

This body, buried inside the 1800s, is named Soapman. Why? Because when re-discovered in 1875, the fats on his body had transformed into soap. How did it happen? Don’t click when you have a weak stomach.

According to the Smithsonian, the freak occurrence happened when water and alkaline soil seeped into the guy’s casket. This turned his fat into one big ol’ bar of soap. In the event you’re into science (or watched Fight Club), you’d realize it’s a kind of hydrolysis called saponification . While his body is made out of soap, he doesn’t really look that clean. [ Smithsonian via Neatorama ]

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This post is tagged: alkaline soil, fight club, hydrolysis, occurrence, Science, smithsonian, stomach