After death the blood is found in two forms. This is owing to certain
diseases and circumstances. The first is encountered when death
has ensued after a long stage of sickness. The vital fluids become
exhausted by disease, and the organs of circulation become too weak
to perform their office of circulating the fluid they contain; hence,
dissolution takes place in the blood from want of constant and rapid
action. Thus the fibrine becomes lodged and coagulated in the veins
and capillary system. The fibrine and serum separate, leaving the
fibrine coagulated or clotted, and the serum, a transparent, fatty or
oily liquid, permeates the tissues of the flesh. Usually the arteries
are found without any blood remaining in them. In instances of this
kind there will be no difficulty encountered from the corpse turning
black, as the gases cannot force the blood to the surface into the
capillary system, because the fibrine is lodged elsewhere, but the
flesh may turn brown or saffron color to some extent.