[Forensic significance of the fate of ingested ethanol (author's transl)].

Distribution and disappearance of ethylalcohol (ethanol) were studied using either human blood in vitro or blood sampling or corpse blood after premortal ethanol ingestion. 1) Ethanol is distributed among plasma and blood cells according to a partition law. The partition coefficient was found to vary depending upon ethanol concentration and corpse phenomenon post mortum. 2) Ratio of plasma ethanol concentration to blood cells increases below 0.5 mg/ml and decreases above 0.5 mg/ml of ethanol concentration in the whole blood. The ratio was found to be more smaller in the corpse blood. The concentration ratio in blood cells to whole blood varies in a similar fashion. 3) Accuracy of determination of ethanol levels in the corpse whole blood was not always satisfactory, partly because distribution of ethanol in the blood varies postmortum and partly because ratio of plasma to blood cells also varies. Some attempts were made using statistical manipulations of hematocrit values or ratios of plasma to whole blood, to correct the errors without recommendable success. 4) After deliberabe evaluation of errors, possibly incurred when the value post mortum is used instead of the premortal values, it is concluded that the postmortal value can be used as an indicator of premortal ebriety within the reasonable limit of errors. 5) No changes in the distribution of ethanol were observed within 24 hours when the blood is kept in ice box immediately after sampling, and also in the blood ethanol concentration for at least 20 days under similar conditions. In contrast, blood samples, if left at room temperature, deteriorate rapidly within 5 days.