Text-book of forensic medicine and toxicologyBuchanan, R. J. M. (Robert James McLean)
Science
Text-book of forensic medicine and toxicology
Buchanan, R. J. M. (Robert James McLean)
Medical jurisprudence; Poisons
Points of Importance to be Noticed in Examination of a Dead Body found
Wounded.
1. Note situation, extent, depth, breadth, length, and direction of
wound. Take careful measurements, in order to determine the character
of the weapon, and the organs of the body injured.
2. Is there any appearance of ecchymosis, or is the effused blood
liquid or coagulated?
3. Examine wound as to presence of pus, adhesive inflammation,
gangrene, or foreign bodies.
_Why?_ Presence of pus, &c., will show that death must
have taken place some time after the wound was inflicted.
4. In all examinations of wounds, be careful to disturb as little as
possible their outward appearance, in order to compare the wound with
the suspected weapon.
5. All notes should be taken during such examination, or _immediately_
after.
6. Make a careful examination of all the important organs of the body.
_Why?_ In order to disprove the suggestion that death
was due to other causes--poison, disease, &c. This is
important, as in the case of a girl who, dreading a
whipping, swallowed some arsenic, from which she died,
yet her father was tried for causing her death by the
severity of his punishment.
7. Only facts should be stated in the Report; _no inferences_ should be
drawn or suggested.
8. In describing the appearance of wounds use _simple untechnical
language_, and avoid superlatives and high-flown words to describe and
explain simple facts.
9. In gunshot wounds, note position of body, state and contents of the
hands, and the direction of the wound in relation to external objects.
Note also in all kinds of wounds the relationship of the wound to cuts
or rents in the clothes of the deceased.
INJURIES OF SPECIAL REGIONS
Injuries of the Head and Spine
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