A handbook of medical jurisprudence and toxicology : for the use of students and practitioners / by William A. Brend.
- Date:
- 1906
Licence: In copyright
Credit: A handbook of medical jurisprudence and toxicology : for the use of students and practitioners / by William A. Brend. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
34/328 (page 14)
![arise in the course of an ordinary pathological investigation, require to be noticed. Besides ascertaining the cause of death, and particu- larly whether such cause was accidental or otherwise, the examiner must be ready to reply to various subsidiary questions on the state of nutrition, degree of decomposition, probable age of the individual, length of time which has elapsed since death, &c. When possible, it is desirable to obtain a history of the circumstances attending the death, before commencing the examination, for then special attention may be directed towards the organs likely to be concerned. The examiner should allow no persons to be present other than those specially authorised. A note should be made of the time and date of the examination. The examination of the clothing of a dead person is usually per- formed by the police. Sometimes, however, this duty falls to the lot of the medical man, and the latter may be called upon to identify stains or fabrics. The points to notice are whether the body is fully clothed or not, and whether the clothes are properly worn, or are unbuttoned, wrongly buttoned, ill adjusted, or torn. Markings on the underlinen, or stains on the outer garments from which the occupation can be inferred, are to be ob-;erved. The position of rents must be compared with wounds on the underlying surface of the body. Blood-stains are to be described, and portions of the cloth removed for further examination. If rape is Suspected, the underlinen of the woman must be searched for stains of semen, blood, or mud. Fabrics are identified subsequently by teasing out a few threads and examining them under the microscope. The student is advised to mount and examine for himself slides of linen, wool, and silk. External Examination.—This may commence with a general survey of the body. Is it well-nourished or emaciated ; clean or dirty ; blood-stained or otherwise ? Has rigor mortis commenced or passed off? Has decomposition set in ? If so, what is its character, and how far has it advanced ? What is the apparent age? If the body has not been properly and fully identified, a note must be made of the position and character of all external markings and other data for identification mentioned in the previous chapter. The situation of hypostases should be noticed, as they may afford evidence as to the position in which the body has lain, or show that it has been moved since death {v. p. 32). Bruises and abrasions must be accurately described, with reference to their appear-, ance, extent, and position, and any evidence pointing to the manner in which they were received, or time of infliction, noted. All wounds should be measured, their edges, &c., examined, and their depth and direction ascertained. In cases of drowning, the nails should be ex- amined for collections of mud or fragments of a<]uatic plants beneath them. Attention may now be turned to the orifices of the body. Has there been any hremorrhage from the ears, nostrils, or mouth ? Is there froth at the mouth or nose ? Are the teeth clenched ? H.ave the lips or tongue been bitten, or are they stained or charred with](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21906646_0036.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
