| Forensics (93) |
Ever wanted to learn about forensic medicine and how law enforcement labs process information that they received from the field |
Forensics
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Crimes
Forensic medicine is also called Medical Jurisprudence or Legal
Medicine, and includes all questions which bring medical matters int...
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Medical Evidence
On being called, the medical witness enters the witness-box and takes
the oath. This is very generally done by uplifting the right h...
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Personal Identity
It is but seldom that medical evidence is required with regard to the
identification of the living, though it may sometimes be so, a...
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Examination Of Persons Found Dead
When a medical man is called to a case of sudden death, he should
carefully note anything likely to throw any light on the cause of ...
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Modes Of Sudden Death
There are three modes in which death may occur: (1) Syncope; (2)
asphyxia; (3) coma.
1. =Syncope= is death beginning at the heart...
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Signs Of Death
(1) Cadaveric appearance; ashy white colour. (2) Cessation of the
circulation and respiration, no sound being heard by the stethosco...
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Death From AnÆsthetics Etc
The coroner in England and Wales and Ireland must inquire into every
case of death during the administration of an anæsthetic. The
...
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Presumption Of Death; Survivorship
=Presumption of Death.=--If a person be unheard of for seven years, the
court may, on application by the nearest relative, presume d...
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Assault Murder Manslaughter Etc
=Assault.=--This is an attempt or offer to do violence to another
person; it is not necessary that actual injury has been done, but ...
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Wounds And Mechanical Injuries
A wound may be defined as a 'breach of continuity in the structures of
the body, whether external or internal, suddenly occasioned b...
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Contused Wounds And Injuries Unaccompanied By Solution Ofcontinuity
If a blow be inflicted with a blunt instrument, there is produced a
bruise, or ecchymosis, of which it is unnecessary here to descri...
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Incised Wounds And Those Accompanied By Solution Of Continuity
These comprise incised, punctured, and lacerated wounds. In a recent
incised wound inflicted during life there is copious hæmorrhage...
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Gunshot Wounds
These may be punctured, contused, or lacerated. Round balls make a
larger opening than those which are conical. Small shot fired at ...
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Wounds Of Various Parts Of The Body
1. =Of the Head.=--Wounds of the scalp are likely to be followed by (1)
erysipelatous inflammation; (2) inflammation of the tendinou...
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Detection Of Blood-stains Etc
Stains may require detection on clothing, on cutting instruments, on
floors and furniture, etc. The following are the distinctive ch...
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Death By Suffocation
Signs and Symptoms.--There are usually three stages:
1. Exaggerated respiratory activity; air hunger; anxiety; congested
appearan...
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Death By Hanging
In hanging, death occurs by asphyxia, as in drowning. Sensibility is
soon lost, and death takes place in four or five minutes. The e...
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Death By Strangulation
This differs from hanging in that the body is not suspended. It may be
effected by a ligature round the neck, or by direct pressure ...
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Death By Drowning
Death by drowning occurs when breathing is arrested by watery or
semi-fluid substances--blood, urine, etc. The fluid acts mechanical...
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Death From Starvation
The post-mortem appearances in death from starvation are as follows:
There is marked general emaciation; the skin is dry, shrivelled...
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Death From Lightning And Electricity
The signs of death from lightning vary greatly. In some cases there are
no signs; in others the body may be most curiously marked. W...
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Death From Cold Or Heat
=Cold.=--The weak, aged, or infants, readily succumb to low
temperatures. The symptoms are increasing lassitude, drowsiness, coma,
...
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Pregnancy
The signs of the existence of pregnancy are of two kinds, uncertain and
certain, or maternal and foetal. Amongst the former class ar...
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Delivery
The signs of recent delivery are as follows: The face is pale, with dark
circles round the eyes; the pulse quickened; the skin soft,...
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Foeticide Or Criminal Abortion
This consists in giving to any woman, or causing to be taken by her,
with intent to procure her miscarriage, any poison or other nox...
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Infanticide
Infanticide, or the murder of a new-born child, is not treated as a
specific crime, but is tried by the same rules as in cases of fe...
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Evidences Of Live Birth
The signs of live birth prior to respiration are negative and positive.
A negative opinion may be formed when evidence is found of t...
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Cause Of Death In The Foetus
The death of the foetus may be due to--(1) Immaturity or intra-uterine
malnutrition, or simply from deficient vitality; (2) complica...
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Duration Of Pregnancy
The natural period of gestation is considered as forty weeks, ten lunar
months, or 280 days. A medical witness would have to admit t...
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Viability Of Children
A child may be born alive, but may not be viable, by which is meant that
it is not endowed with a capacity of maintaining its life. ...
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Legitimacy
A child born in wedlock is presumed to have the mother's husband for its
father. This may, however, be open to question upon the fol...
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Superfoetation
By superfoetation is meant the conception, by a woman already pregnant,
of a second embryo, resulting in the birth of two children a...
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Inheritance
In order to inherit, the child must be born alive, must be born during
the lifetime of the mother, and must be born capable of inher...
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Impotence And Sterility
In the male, impotence may arise from physical or mental causes. The
physical causes may be--too great or too tender an age; malform...
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Rape
Rape is the carnal knowledge of a woman by force and against her will.
The resistance of the woman must be to the utmost of her powe...
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Unnatural Offences
Trials for =sodomy= and =bestiality= are common at the assizes, but, as
they are rarely reported, they fail to attract attention. So...
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Blackmailing
There are in London and every large city scores of men and women who
live by blackmailing or chantage. There are many different form...
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Marriage And Divorce
Marriage may be accomplished in many ways: (1) By the publication of
banns; (2) by an ordinary licence; (3) by a special licence; (4...
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Feigned Diseases
Malingering in its various forms is by no means uncommon, and by many is
regarded as a disease in itself. It is necessary, however, ...
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Mental Unsoundness
The presumption in law is in favour of a person's sanity, even though he
may be deaf, dumb, or blind.
The terms 'insanity,' 'luna...
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Idiocy Imbecility Cretinism
=Idiocy= is not a disease, but a congenital condition in which the
intellectual faculties are either never manifested or have not be...
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Dementia: Acute Chronic Senile And Paralytic
In dementia the mental aberration does not occur until the mind has
become fully developed, thus differing from amentia, which is co...
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Mania
Under the term 'mania' are included all those forms of mental
unsoundness in which there is undue excitement. It is divided into
ge...
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Examination Of Persons Of Unsound Mind
The following hints with regard to the examination of patients supposed
to be insane will be useful: The general appearance and shap...
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The Inebriates Acts
It is somewhat difficult to define an inebriate, but for the moment the
following will suffice, and will ultimately, in all probabil...
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Definition Of A Poison
Though the law does not define in definite terms what a poison really
is, it lays stress on the malicious intention in giving a drug...
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Sale Of Poisons; Scheduled Poisons
The sale of poisons is regulated by various Acts, but chiefly by the
Pharmacy Act, 1868, and by the Poisons and Pharmacy Act, 1908. ...
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Action Of Poisons; Classification Of Poisons
=Action of Poisons.=--They may act either locally or only after
absorption into the system.
1. Local Action, as seen in (a) corro...
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Evidence Of Poisoning
It may be inferred that poison has been taken from consideration of the
following factors: Symptoms and post-mortem appearances, exp...
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Symptoms And Post-mortem Appearances Of Different Classes Of Poisons
Whilst recognizing the fact that toxic agents cannot be accurately
classified, the following grouping may for descriptive purposes b...
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Duty Of Practitioner In Supposed Case Of Poisoning
If called to a case supposed or suspected to be one of poisoning, the
medical man has two duties to perform: To save the patient's l...
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Treatment Of Poisoning
The modes of treatment may be ranged under three heads: (1) To eliminate
the poison; (2) to antagonize its action; (3) to avert the ...
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Detection Of Poisons
Notice the smell, colour, and general appearance, of the matter
submitted for examination. The odour may show the presence of prussi...
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The Mineral Acids
These are sulphuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acids.
Symptoms of Poisoning by the Mineral Acids.--Acid taste in the mouth,
with v...
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Sulphuric Acid
=Sulphuric Acid=, or oil of vitriol, may be concentrated or diluted. It
is frequently thrown over the person to disfigure the featur...
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Nitric Acid
=Nitric Acid=, or aqua fortis, is less frequently used as a poison than
sulphuric acid. The fumes from nitric acid have caused death...
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Hydrochloric Acid
=Hydrochloric Acid=, muriatic acid, or spirit of salt, is not uncommonly
used for suicidal purposes, being fifth in the list.
Met...
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Oxalic Acid
=Oxalic Acid= is used by suicides, though not often by murderers. The
crystals closely resemble those of Epsom salts or sulphate of ...
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Carbolic Acid
=Carbolic Acid, Phenic Acid, or Phenol=, is largely employed as a
disinfectant, and is often supplied in ordinary beer-bottles witho...
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Potash Soda And Ammonia
=Caustic Potash= occurs in cylindrical sticks, is soapy to the touch,
has an acrid taste, is deliquescent, fusible by heat, soluble ...
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Inorganic Irritants
=Nitrate of Potassium (Nitre, Saltpetre)--Bitartrate of Potassium (Cream
of Tartar)--Alum (Double Sulphate of Alumina and Potassium)...
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Chlorate Of Potassium Etc
=Chlorate of Potassium= produces irritation of stomach and bowels;
hæmaturia; melæna; cyanosis, weakness, delirium, and coma.
Pos...
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Barium Salts
=Chloride of Barium= occurs crystallized in irregular plates, like
magnesium sulphate, soluble in water and bitter in taste. =Carbon...
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Iodine--iodide Of Potassium
=Iodine= occurs in scales of a dark bluish-black colour. It strikes blue
with solution of starch, and stains the skin and intestines...
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Phosphorus
=Phosphorus= is usually found in small, waxy-looking cylinders, which
are kept in water to prevent oxidation. It may also occur as t...
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Arsenic And Its Preparations
=Arsenic= is the most important of all the metallic poisons. It is much
used in medicine and the arts. It occurs as metallic arsenic...
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Antimony And Its Preparations
=Tartar Emetic= (tartarized antimony, potassio-tartrate of antimony)
occurs as a white powder, or in yellowish-white efflorescent cr...
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Mercury And Its Preparations
The most important salt of mercury, toxicologically, is corrosive
sublimate. Other poisonous preparations are red precipitate, white...
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Lead And Its Preparations
=Acetate of Lead= (Sugar of Lead).--A glistening white powder or
crystalline mass. Soluble in water, with a sweetish taste. It is
p...
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Copper And Its Preparations
Poisoning with copper salts is rare. The most important are the
sulphate, subacetate, and arsenite.
=Sulphate of Copper= (bluesto...
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Zinc Silver Bismuth And Chromium
The salts of zinc requiring notice are the sulphate and chloride.
=Sulphate of Zinc= has been taken in mistake for Epsom salts. In...
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Gaseous Poisons
=Carbon Dioxide.=--Carbon dioxide is a product of combustion and
respiration, and is generated in many ways during fermentation. It ...
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Vegetable Irritants
The chief vegetable purgatives are aloes, colocynth, gamboge, jalap,
scammony, seeds of castor-oil plant, croton-oil, elaterium, the...
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Opium And Morphine
=Opium.=--The inspissated juice of the unripe capsules of the Papaver
somniferum. As a poison it is generally taken in the form of t...
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Belladonna Hyoscyamus And Stramonium
=Belladonna.=--The root, leaves, and berries, of the Atropa belladonna
are poisonous from the presence of alkaloid atropine.
Symp...
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Cocaine
=Cocaine.=--Any dose above 1/2 grain applied to a mucous membrane or
injected hypodermically may give rise to alarming symptoms. The...
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Camphor
The liniment, oil, and spirit have been poisonous in large dose.
Symptoms.--Odour of breath, languor, giddiness, faintness, dimnes...
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Tetrachlorethane Etc
=Tetrachlorethane= ('Cellon').--Acetylene tetrachloride; vapour has
caused poisoning in aeroplane ('dope') and cinema film works.
...
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Alcohol Ether And Chloroform
Alcohol, ether, and chloroform, induce general anæsthesia, often
preceded by delirious excitement, and followed by nausea and vomiti...
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Chloral Hydrate
It was formerly largely used as a hypnotic, and many fatal consequences
ensued. It is prepared from alcohol and chlorine.
Symptom...
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Petroleum And Paraffin-oil
Cases of poisoning by petroleum and paraffin are common, and occur
chiefly in children.
=Petroleum= is a natural product, and is ...
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Antipyrine Antifebrin Phenacetin And Aniline
Many of the synthetical coal-tar products now so largely employed as
analgesics are powerful toxic agents.
=Phenazone, Antipyrine...
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Sulphonal Trional Tetronal Veronal Paraldehyde
These are dangerous drugs. The ordinary symptoms of the group are
noises in the ears, headache, vertigo, inability to stand or to wa...
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Conium And Calabar Bean
=Conium Maculatum= (Spotted Hemlock).--All parts of the plant are
poisonous, often mistaken for parsley. Contains the poisonous prin...
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Tobacco And Lobelia
=Tobacco.=--Nicotiana tabacum owes its poisonous properties to its
alkaloid nicotine, a volatile, oily, amber-coloured liquid, with ...
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Hydrocyanic Acid
=Prussic Acid= is the most active of poisons. The diluted hydrocyanic
acid of the Pharmacopoeia contains 2 per cent. of hydrocyanic ...
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Aconite
=Aconite= (Aconitum Napellus, monkshood).--Root and leaves. Poisonous
property depends upon an alkaloid, aconitine. Aconite is one o...
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Digitalis
All parts of the plant Digitalis purpurea (purple foxglove) are
poisonous. Contains the glucoside digitalin and other active princip...
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Nux Vomica Strychnine And Brucine
=Nux Vomica= consists of the seeds of the Strychnos nux vomica. From
these strychnine and brucine are obtained. The symptoms, post-m...
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Cantharides
=Cantharides.=--Spanish fly, or blistering beetle, is the basis of most
of the blistering preparations. It is sometimes taken as an
...
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Abortifacients
Emmenagogues are remedies which have the property of exciting the
catamenial flow; ecbolics, or abortives, are drugs which excite
c...
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Poisonous Fungi And Toxic Foods
=Fungi.=--Of the poisonous mushrooms, the Amanita phalloides and the
fly agaric, or Agaricus muscarius, are the most potent. The act...
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Ptomaines Or Cadaveric Alkaloids
Every medical man, before presenting himself to give evidence in a case
of suspected poisoning, should make himself thoroughly acqua...
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