The Mexican doctor rehydrating the dead
Dr Alejandro Hernández Cárdenas works as a forensic doctor at the prosecutor's office and has developed a special technique to rehydrate corpses in order to help identify them.The technique is so innovative that last year the Mexican Institute for Industrial Property gave him a patent for his secret formula.
Forensic experts have used glycerine injections to reconstitute fingers to get prints for over a century. But that technique does not work for entire bodies.
DNA testing can help, but in order to identify bodies, samples from two direct family members are needed for comparison. With the rehydration process, the body can regain most of its original condition so families can identify it. "I think I am doing this work because I was affected by the idea of these bodies going to mass graves or their families not being able to mourn properly," Dr Hernández says.
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