Forensic Medicine

4.
Forensic medicine - the science that deals with
the application of medical knowledge to legal
question .
Clinical Forensic Medicine - involves an
application of clinical methods for the
administration of justice.
Paulus Zacchias - father of legal medicine as well
as father of forensic psychiatry.
Medical Ethics - deals with the moral principles
which should guide members of the medical
profession in their dealings with each other, their
patients and the state.
Medical Etiquette - deals with the conventional
laws of courtesy observed between members of
the medical profession.A doctor should behave
with his colleagues as he would have them behave
with himself.
Hippocrates - father of medicine, discussed
lethality of wounds and formulated medical ethics.
Forensic Pathology - deals with the study and
application of the effects of violence or unnatural
disease in its various forms in or on the human
body, in determining the cause and manner of
death in case of violence, suspicious, unexplained,
unexpected, sudden, and medically unattended
death.
Pathology - is the precise study and diagnosis of
disease.
Pathologist - a medical doctor who conducts an
autopsy.
Autopsy - post mortem examination of a corpse.
Other names of an autopsy
1. post-mortem examination

2. necropsy -particularly as to non human

body
3. autopsia cadavarem
4. obduction
Objectives of Autopsy
1. To find out the time of death.
2. To find out the cause of death.
3. To find out the manner of death, whether
accidental, suicidal or homicidal.
4. To establish the identity of the body.
5. In new born infants, to determine live birth or
viability.
Exhumation - is the digging out of an already
buried body from the grave.
Disease - is an abnormal condition affecting the
body of an organism.
Cadaver - also called corpse, is a dead human
body.
Carcass - dead body of an animal.
Injury - is damage to a biological organism which
can be classified on various bases.
wound - is a type of injury in which the skin is
torn, cut, or punctured or where blunt force
trauma causes a contusion.
Classification of wound
1. open wound - is a break in the skin's surface
resulting in external bleeding.
2. closed wound - the skin is not broken open
and remains intact.
Classification//Categories of open wounds
1.

incised wound - caused by a clean ,

sharp edged object such as a knife, razor or
a glass splinter.

2. laceration - irregular tear like wound

caused by some blunt trauma.

3. abrasion - (grazes) - superficial wound in
which the top most layer of the skin is
scraped off. Are often caused by a sliding
fall into a rough surface.
4. puncture wound - caused by an object
puncturing the skin such as nail.
5. penetration wound - caused by an object
such as a knife entering and coming out
from the skin.
6. gunshot wound - caused by a bullet or
similar projectile driving into or through the
body. There may be two wounds, one at the
site of entry and one at the site of exit
generally referred to as through and
through.
Classification/Categories of closed wound
1.

contusions - commonly known as bruises,

caused by a blunt force trauma that
damages tissue under the skin.

2. hematoma - called blood tumor, caused by

damage to a blood vessel that in turn
causes blood to collect under the skin.
3. crush injury - caused by a great or
extreme amount of force applied over a long
period of time.

incised wound

penetration wound

crushing injury

Ante Mortem - before death.

Post Mortem - scientific term for after death.
Cadaver tag - an identification tag attached to the cadaver containing tag
number, name if identified, date/time and place of recovery, date/time of
incident, gender, other pertinent information and name of the investigator.
In articulo mortis - at the point of death.
Rigor mortis - stiffening of the body after death.
lividity - process through which the body's blood supply will stop moving after
the heart has stopped pumping it around the inside of the deceased.
Necrophagus - this type of organism feeds directly on decomposing tissue.
37 degrees celsius or 98 degrees fahrenheit - average body temperature.
4 Categories of Death
1. natural causes
2. homicide/killing
3. accidental death
4. suicide
Vital signs -are measures of various physiological statistics often taken by
health professionals in order to assess the most basic body functions.
1. body temperature
2. pulse rate/heart rate
3. blood pressure
4. respiratory rate
Death - cessation of all biological functions that sustains a living organism.

Causes of death
1. old age
2. predation - biological interaction where a predator (organism that is
hunting) feeds on its prey (the organism that is attacked).
3. malnutrition
4. disease
5. accidents
6. injury
Signs of death
1. cessation of breathing
2. cardiac arrest - no pulse
3. livor mortis - settling of the blood in the lower dependents of the body.
4. algor mortis - reduction in body temperature following death.
5. rigor mortis - the limbs of the corpse become stiff and difficult to move.
6. decomposition - reduction into simple form of matter accompanied by
strong unpleasant odor.
Cadaveric Spasm - sudden rigidity of the muscle immediately after death. A
rare form of muscular stiffening that occurs at the moment of death, persists
into the period of rigor mortis and can be mistaken for rigor mortis.
Other Names of cadaveric Spasm
1. Instantaneous rigor
2. Cataleptic rigidity
3. Instantaneous rigidity
4. Death grip
5. Post Morten spasm
When does the stiffness of death begin to disappear? after 36 hours.
What is the rate of temperature change to a body after death? after one
hour,body temperature drops 1 to 1 1/2 degrees per hour.
Dying Declaration - is a testimony that would normally barred as hearsay but
may nonetheless be admitted as evidence in certain kinds of cases because it

constituted the last words of a dying person.

Nemo Morituros Praesumitur Mentiri - a dying person is not presumed to
lie.
Zombie - an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as
witchcraft.
Coffin Birth - (post Morten fetal extrusion) - is the expulsion of a non viable
fetus though the vaginal opening of the decomposing body of a pregnant
woman as a result of the increasing pressure of the intra abdominal gases.
Code of Hammurabi - King of Babylon (4000 to 3000 BC) is the oldest known
medico legal code.
Bologna, Italy - where the first medico-legal autopsy was done.
Bartolomeo de Varignana - conducted the first medico-legal autopsy in Italy
in 1302.
Fortunato Fedele - an Italian physician who in 1602 published the first book
on forensic medicine.
Inquest - is the legal or judicial inquiry to ascertain a matter of fact.
Euthanasia - (mercy killing) - it means producing painless death of a person
suffering from hopelessly incurable and painful disease. It is not allowed by law
in the Philippines.
Malingering/Shamming - means conscious, planned feigning or pretending
disease for the sake of gain.
The Rule of Haase - is used to estimate age of fetus.The length of the fetus in
cm. divided by five, is the duration of pregnancy in months.
Forensic Entomology - is the use of insects and their arthropod relatives that
inhabit decomposing remains to aid in legal investigations.
What are the 5 stages of insect development?
1. Eggs
2. Larvae
3. Prepupae
4. Pupae
5. Adult fly
What are the 2 methods of biological forensics are concerned with?
entomology and DNA.

Residence time - this defines how long an insect colony has been at a corpse.
The body farm - used for entomological experiment. This place exists at the
University of Tennessee.
Forensic Medicine Definition of Terms

Abrasion - a skin injury caused by scraping off of superficial skin due to friction against a rough

Adipocere - a peculiar waxy substance consisting of salts and fatty acids and formed from the d
Aedeagus - the reproductive organ of a male insect.
Agnosia - impairment or loss associated with brain injury

of the ability to recognized or compr

Airways - any part of the respiratory tract thought which air passes during breathing.

Alveolar ducts - the smallest of the lungs airways that connect terminal bronchioles and alveol
Alveoli - microscopic air sacs in which gas exchange between the blood and the lungs occur.
Amnesia - partial or total loss of memory for past experiences.

Anarthria - loss of the ability to form words accurately caused by brain lesion or damage to per
Anemia - any condition in which the number of red blood cells, the amount of hemoglobin, and
Aplastic anemia - anemia caused by aplasia of bone marrow or its
destruction by chemical agents or physical factors.
Auto immune hemolytic - acquired disorder characterized by
premature erythrocyte destruction owing to abnormalities in the
individuals own immune system.
Hemolytic - anemia caused by hemolysis of red blood cells
resulting in reduction of normal red cell life span.
Iron-deficiency anemia - anemia resulting from a demand on
stored iron greater than can be met.
Megaloblastic anemia - anemia in which megaloblasts are found
in the blood, usually due to a deficiency of folic acid or vitamin
B12.
Microangiopathic hymolytic - a hemolytic process associated
with thrombotic thrombotic purpura, prosthetic heart valve , and
burns. It is visualized in the peripheral blood smear by
fragmentation of the red cells and other bizarre morphology.

Pernicious - a type of megaloblastic anemia due to a deficiency of

vitamin B12, directly linked to absence of intrinsic factor.
Sickle-cell - hereditary chronic anemia in which abnormal sickle or
crescent shaped erythrocytes are present.It is due to the
presence of hemoglobin S in the red blood cells.

Antibody - a protein produced for body defense in response to an antigen.An antibody is a subs
Anticoagulant - a substance such as EDTA that prevent coagulation or clotting of the blood.

Antigen - a foreign substance, usually a protein, capable of stimulating an antibody response fo

Aplasia - failure of an organ or tissue to develop normally.

Asphyxia - lack of oxygen or excess of carbon dioxide in the body.Asphyxia may lead to uncons

Asthma - a chronic condition in which constriction (spasm) of the bronchial tubes occurs in resp

Atherosclerosis - deposition of plaques of cholesterol esters in blood vessels, resulting in the n

Atrophy - a loss of function due to age, disuse, or disease.

Autism - mental introversion in which thinking is governed by personal needs and the world is p

Autopsy - a physical examination of the corpse through dissection to determine cause of death
Bestiality - is a sexual intercourse by a human being with a lower animal.
Biopsy - a small piece of tissue excised for the purpose of analysis.

Bite mark - a circular or oval patterned injury consisting of two opposing symmetrical.U-shaped

Bloat - the transient phase in corpse decomposition that follows the fresh phase and is characte
Blood group - an immunologically distinct, genetically determined class of human erythrocyte
Blood type - a way of saying which blood group antigens are present on the persons red cells.

Bloodborne pathogen - infectious, disease causing microorganism that maybe found or transp
Bloodstain - liquid blood that has dried once it has come in contact with a surface.

Body bag - a heavy waterproof bag usually closed with a zipper and used to transport a corpse

Body dump site - the location where an offender disposes of the murder victim's body.
Bondage - the combining of sadism and masochism.

Bronchi - (singular-bronchus) large divisions of the trachea that convey air to and from the lung
Bronchiole - a small diameter airway branching from a bronchus.

Bronchitis - inflammation of the mucus membrane of the bronchial tubes, usually associated w
Bronchospasm - contraction of the smooth muscle of the bronchi causing the narrowing of the

Buccal coitus - (coitus per os or sin of Gomorrah) the male organ is introduced into mouth, usu

Cadaver dog - canines specially trained to find human decomposition scent and and alert their
Cadaverine - malodorous chemical compound produced during decomposition.

Cause of death - an injury or disease that ultimately lead to death of the individual, generally d
Carrion - decaying animal flesh.

Cephalothorax - the anterior body region in some arthropods consisting of the fused head and

Cerebellum - the large brain mass located at the posterior base of the brain, responsible for ba

Cerebral contusion - bruising of brain tissue marked by swelling and hemorrhage and resulting
Cerebral edema - swelling of the brain caused by excessive buildup of fluid in the tissue.

Cerebral infarctions - is an ischemic stroke resulting from a disturbance in the blood vessels s

Cerebrum - the largest portion of the brain, include the cerebral hemispheres (cerebral cortex a
Chronic - persistent, prolonged, repeated.

Cirrhosis - a chronic disease of the liver marked by degeneration of cells, inflammation, and fib

Clitoris - erectile tissue in female analogous to male penis, located above the urethra and cove

Clot - a thick mass of coagulated liquid, ex. blood.A blood clot is formed by a complex mechanis
Coagulation - the process of stopping blood flow from a wound or by which blood forms clot.
Coagulophaty - a disease affecting the blood clotting process.

Code of Hammurabi - is the oldest known medico legal code.

Coma - state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient can not be aroused.

Concussion - sudden shock to or jarring of the brain which may or may not cause a loss of cons

Conjunctiva - the delicate mucous membrane that covers the exposed surface of the eyeball a

Contact wound - a wound that results when a small weapon is fired in contact with the skin.Ma
Contusion - a bruise that is either superficial or internal.An injury cause by blunt object impact

Convulsion - is a medical condition where the body muscle contract and relax rapidly and repea
Cornea - the transparent membrane that cover the colored part of the eye.
Coronary artery - an artery supplying blood to the heart.

Coroner - (medical examiner) (pathologists) an officer responsible for determining the manner a
Corpse - a dead human body, also called cadaver.
Cunnilingus - is the oral stimulation of the female genitalia.

Death - the loss of life characterized by clinically by combined failure of respiratory, cardiovascu

Decomposition - post mortem degenerative rotting of the corpse.Chemical breakdown, separa

Decubitus - may be seen as a bedsore that can produce an ulcer in the body caused by lying lo
Defense wounds - stab or incised wounds to the hands, wrists, forearms, and arms that may c
Delirium - extreme mental excitement marked by defective perception, impaired memory, and

Delusion - firm belief opposed to reality but maintained in spite of srong evidence to the contra

Diatoms - are microscopic, unicellular, silica coated algae.Presence of diatoms in tissue is a sign
Dipsomania - an irresistible desire for alcoholic drinks at periodic intervals.

Durham rule - an accused person is nor criminally responsible if his unlawful act is the product

Ecchymosis - is the medical term for a subcutaneous purpura larger than 1 centimeter or a hem

Eclampsia - an acute disorder of pregnant and puerperal women, associated with convulsions a
Embolism - obstruction of a blood vessel by foreign substances or by a blood clot.

Endemic - a disease that occurs continuously in a particular population but has a low mortality

Endocarditis - inflammation of the lining membrane of the heart.Maybe due to invasion of micr

Epidural hemorrhage - bleeding in the space between the dura matter and skull or wall of the
Epistaxis - hemorrhage from the nose, nosebleed.

Erythrocytes - red blood cells.A type of blood cell that contain a nucleus in all vertebrates but m
Erythroderma - intense, widespread reddening of the skin.

Esophagus - the portion of the digestive canal extending from the throat to the stomach, also r
Eunuchs - male prostitutes.

Euthanasia - (mercy killing) it means producing painless death of a person suffering from hope

Exoskeleton - a skeleton on the outside of the body whose inner walls serves as a point for the

Feces - animal solid waste material discharged from the rectum through the anus.End product o
Felacio - is the oral stimulation or manipulation of the penis either by the female or male.
Fetichism - sexual satisfaction by contact with articles of opposite sex.

Forensic medicine - is the application of medical knowledge in the administration of law and j

Forensic taphonomy - the study of post-mortem processes affecting human remains for the pu

Fortunato Fedele - an Italian physician who in 1602 published the first book on forensic medic
Frigidity - is the inability to start or to maintain the sexual arousal pattern in the female.
Frotteurism - contact with other persons to obtain sexual gratification.
Gangrene - death of tissue due to lack of blood supply.

Gastritis - inflammation of the stomach, characterized by epigastric pain or tenderness, nausea

Glaucoma - a disease of the eye characterized by abnormal and damaging high pressure in the
Hematology - branch of biology that deals with blood and blood forming organs.

Hematoma - accumulation of blood in the tissue due to internal hemorrhaging.A tumor of blood

Hemolysis - destruction or dissolution of red blood cells in such a manner that hemoglobin is li

Hemolytic anemia - Any anemia resulting from destruction of red blood cells.

Hemophilia A hereditary blood disease characterized by impaired coagulability of the blood and

Hemoptysis - Coughing and spitting of blood as a result of bleeding from any part of the respira

Hemorrhage - Escape of whole blood from a blood vessel. Abnormal internal or external bleed
Herniation - Rupture of tissue into an adjacent space due to internal pressure or swelling.
Hijrahs - castrated eunuchs.

Homosexuality - means persistent emotional and physical attraction to members of same sex.

Hymen - Thin membrane, in females, that separates the external genitalia from the vagina. The
Hypothermia - Having a body temperature below normal.
Hypovolemia - Diminished blood volume.

Hypoxia - Condition in which below-normal levels of oxygen are present in the air, blood, or bo

Impetigo - Highly contagious, rapidly spreading skin disorder caused by staphylococcus or strep
Inbreeding - Reproduction between related individuals.

Incised wound - Injury produced by a sharp instrument and characterized by lack of surface ab
Incision - A wound produced by a sharp-edged instrument or object.

Ischemia - Obstruction of blood flow (usually by arterial narrowing) that causes lack of oxygen a
Ischemia necrosis - Death of cells as a result of decreased blood flow to affected tissues.
Invertebrate - Any species of animal lacking a back bone.
Impotence - is the inability of a person to perform sexual intercourse.

Jaundice - yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes due to an accumulation of bile pigments
Kleptomania - an irresistible desire to steal articles of little value.

Labia majora - Outer lips to the vagina that are covered by pubic hair after menarche (onset of

Laceration - A wound produced by a tear in the skin due to application of blunt force in crushin

Livor mortis - A coloration of the skin of the lower parts of a corpse caused by the settling of th

Lymphocyte - A general class of white blood cells that are important components of the immun

Maggot - The larva of a higher fly. It sheds its skin twice and has three growth instars prior to pu

Mandible - A mouth organ of invertebrates (especially in the arthropods and insects) used for s

Manner of death - A typology of deaths according to whether they are due to homicide, suicide
Malingering - (shamming) means conscious, planned feigning or pretending a disease for the

Masochism - opposite of sadism, derived from the name of Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch, an Aus

Medical jurisprudence - deals with the legal rights, privileges, duties and obligations of medic

Meningitis - Brain infection involving an acute inflammation of the membranes that cover the b

Mite - Any arthropod in the order Acari. These are very small to minute animals having four pair

Mummification - The drying, shrinking, and hardening of dead flesh due to extreme dehydratio
Mutilomania - an irresistible desire to mutilate animals.

Myiasis - The invasion of any living vertebrate animal, including people, by fly larvae, especially

Myocardial ischemia - Insufficient oxygen supplies to meet the metabolic demands of heart m
Myocarditis - Inflammation of the muscles of the heart.
Myoclonus - Involuntary spasm or twitching of a muscle or group of muscles.

Myoglobin - The oxygen-transporting, pigmented protein of muscle resembles blood hemoglob

Myotomy - Cutting of muscle; in forensic odontology, cutting facial muscles to release postmor
Necrophagia - necros - corpse, phagia - to eat.
Necrophilia - sexual intercourse with dead body.
Necrophilous - Having a dietary fondness for dead flesh.
Necrosis - Death of one or more cells or a portion of a tissue or organ.
Neoplasm - A new and abnormal formation of tissue such as a tumor or growth.

Neuropathy - A disorder of the nervous system; in contemporary usage, a disease involving the

Neuroses - the patient suffer from emotional or intellectual disorder but does not loss touch wit

Osteoarthritis - deterioration in joint integrity connected with use-wear exacerbated by inflamm

Osteomyelitis - Inflammation of the bone especially the marrow caused by a pathogenic organ
Osteoporosis - Increased porosity of the bone, seen most often in the elderly.

Paedophile - (pedophile) is an adult who repeatedly engages in sexual activities with children b
Paraphilias - abnormal and unorthodox sex play using unusual objects or parts of the body.
Perimortem - At or near the time of death.

Petechiae - Pinhead-sized (red) dots which are minute hemorrhages found inside the eyelids an
Phobia - it is an excessive or irrational fear of a particular object or situation.

Plasma - The liquid portion of whole blood containing water, electrolytes, glucose, fats, protein
Pneumonitis - Inflammation of the lungs.

Postmortem - After death, occurring after death, or pertaining to a postmortem examination, a

Postmortem - artifact Alteration to the body that occurs after death that is not related to antem
Postmortem interval - The period of time between death and corpse discovery.
Priapism - painful penile erection in absence of sexual desire.

Pseudo-malingering - A phenomenon whereby a mentally ill individual feigns the mental illnes

Psychological autopsy - An attempt to determine the mode of death (whether an accident, su

Psychopath - a person who is neither insane nor mentally defective but fails to conform to norm
Psychoses - they are characterized by withdrawal from reality, living in a world of fantasy.

Pulmonary edema - Accumulation of extra vascular fluid in the lungs that impairs gas exchang

Putrifaction - The foul-smelling, anaerobic decomposition of moist or wet organic matter by mi

Pyromania - sexual stimulation while seeing flames or destruction of buildings.

Rigor mortis - The stiffness of the body after death that helps in reconstructing the time at whi

Sadism - sexual gratification is obtained or increased from acts of physical cruelty or causing of

Saponification - The conversion of corpse body fat into a curdlike foul-smelling product called a

Saprophagous - Feeding on dead or decaying plant or animal material, such as carrion, corpse
Satyriasis - incessant sexual desire.
Scoliosis - A lateral curvature of the spine.

Scurvy - A deficiency disease characterized by hemorrhagic manifestations and abnormal forma

Sepsis - Pathologic state, usually febrile, resulting from the presence of microorganisms or their
Septicemia - Bacteria in the blood system with signs and symptoms of disease.
Sexual oralism - it is the obtaining of sexual pleasure from the application of the mouth to the

Sodomy - is anal intercourse between two males or between a male and female.It is also called
Tachycardia - Rapid heartbeat (typically greater than 100 beats per minute).
Tachypnea - Rapid breathing.

Tattooing - A characteristic pattern in the skin caused by particles of

unburned and partially burned powder from a shotgun blast at very close range.Also may be cal
Tetany - Condition marked by involuntary muscle contractions or spasms.
Trauma - An injury that is the result of any force such as blunt, sharp, or penetrating.

Transvestism - trans - opposite, vesta - clothing of eonism.The term is derived from the name o

Tribadism - female homosexuality.Sexual gratification of a woman is obtained by another woma

Throttling - is manual strangulation.
Undinism - sexual pleasure by witnessing the act of urination.
Vasodilation - Increased diameter of the blood vessels.
Voyeurism - (scoptophilia) peeping tom, sexual enjoyment by watching.

Wheezing - Breathing noisily and with difficulty; usually a sign of spasm or narrowing of the airw
Zenana - eunuch with intact genitalia.