The Relationship between Bone and Ash Weight to Body Weight and Body Length of Thai Corpses in Bangkok and Central Part of Thailand after Cremation
Thamrong Chirachariyavej MD, PhD*, Sulawan Limburanasombat MSc**, Montip Tiensuwan PhD***
Affiliation : * Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University ** Faculty of Science, Mahidol University *** Department of Mathematic, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University
Background : Although information about bone and ash weight compare to body weight and body length of
Thai people exists, it was based on a few samples.
Objective : Collect data of the bone and ash weight after cremation and find out the relationship between bone
and ash weight, body weight, body length, and age.
Materials and Methods : Two hundred and twenty three corpses, 97 females and 126 males were collected from
four temples, three temples from Bangkok and one temple from Angtong province. The crematoria used in the
present study created a temperature between 850(cid:31)C and 1,200(cid:31)C. Each cremation took about 1-1.5 hours.
Results : The average with SD of bone and ash weight of males was 2.44 kg + 0.9 Kg, while the weight of
females was 2.07 + 0.89 Kg, and the average of bone and ash weight of total subjects was 2.28 + 0.95. There
was negative correlation between age and bone & ash weight, while there was positive correlation between
body length and body weight, body length and bone & ash weight, and body weight and bone & ash weight.
The results of the present study indicated that age and body weight affected the bone and ash weight. The fitted
linear equation was Log (bone & ash weight +1) = 0.413 – 0.001 (age) + 0.003 (body weight).
Conclusion : Age and body weight affect bone and ash weight. Moreover, the age, body weight, and body
length could be estimated by using the bone and ash weight.
Keywords : Cremation, Bone and ash weight, Body weight, Body length
