Hypostasis, or post mortem
lividity, commences shortly after death and is visible thirty to sixty minutes
later. The condition reaches its maximum in between six and ten hours and is
fixed at about twenty four hours (thus temperature and rigor mortis as a means
of ascertaining time of death).
Rather dramatic manifestations of hypostasis occur when the cause of death was
carbon monoxide poisoning and the lividity is bright cherry red, with cyanide
poisoning and the lividity is pink and the deep bronze of sodium chlorate
poisoning.
