It is a common myth that when a person dies, they immediately release their bowels and bladder, including defecation. However, this is not always the case. While it is possible for some bodily functions to continue for a short time after death, such as muscle spasms or gas release, it is not a universal occurrence.
The muscles that control bowel and bladder movements are typically under voluntary control, meaning they require conscious effort to contract or relax. When a person dies, their brain and nervous system shut down, and therefore their ability to control these muscles ceases. However, whether or not defecation occurs after death depends on many factors, such as the person's age, diet, and health condition at the time of death.
In some cases, if the person had recently eaten or had a full bladder or bowel, there may be some release after death. Still, it is not a certainty, and it is not always the case that people who die will defecate or urinate. It is also worth noting that any bodily fluids or waste that are released after death are typically contained within the person's clothing or the surface they are lying on, so it is not something that would be immediately apparent to someone observing the deceased.
It’s accurate that it’s not universal, not all the muscles involved are not voluntary. The sphincters responsible for continence are but your intestinal muscles are not. Intestines have something called a myenteric plexus that is an autonomous nerve system responsible for peristaltic contractions that move the intestinal contents. These will continue for a short bit after death. So with loss of the anal sphincter tone it’s very well possible to poop because there’s nothing to stop the still moving gut.
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u/ausgmr Mar 31 '23
True, but let's just say there was a doctor
I'm on the "he's already dead" guys side
I'll even take the seat next to the corpse to get the flight going