Introduction to Forensic Medicine 09

8/9/2019 Introduction to Forensic Medicine 09

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Introduction to Forensic

Medicine and its role in theadministration of justice

DR. ROHIT ZARIWALA


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Forensic Medicine

Th e term Forensic Medicine means the applica tion of medical knowledge (all

branc hes of medicine including labora tory examina tions) for the adminis tra tion of law and jus tice


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Forensic comes from the La tin word forensis meaning forum .

During the time of the Romans, a criminal charge mean t presen ting the case before a group of pu blic individuals


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All the Forensics

forensic pa thology,

forensic DNA t es ts, forensic toxicology, criminal toxicology,

forensic au topsy


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Forensic en tomology deals with th e examina tion of insec ts in, on, and around human remains to assis t in de termina tion of time or loca tion of dea th. It is also possi ble to de termine if the body was moved af ter dea th.Forensic me teorology is a si te specific analysis of pas t wea ther

condi tions for a poin t of lossForensic geology deals with t race evidence in the form of soils, minerals and pe troleumsForensic odon tology is the s tudy of the uniqueness of den tition be tter known as the s tudy of tee th.Forensic photograp hy is the ar t of producing an accura te

photograp hic reproduc tion of a crime scene for the benefi t of a cour t.Forensic toxicology is the s tudy of the effec t of drugs and poisonson/in the human body .Forensic firearms examina tion is the science dealing with th e inves tiga tion of use of firearms and ammuni tion


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The term Forensic S cience means the applica tion of the knowledge of science for

the purposes of law and jus tice . Th e term includes the applica tion of all sciences suc h as physics, chemis try, biology

Almos t all branc hes of science can help in the adminis tra tion of jus tice


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The term Clinical Forensic Medicine involves an applica tion of clinical me thods for the adminis tra tion of jus tice .

e .g. b a ttered ba by

e .g.live rape victim


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Forensic pathology

It is the applica tion of the knowledge of pa thology for the adminis tra tion of jus tice .

P os t-mor tem examina tions, deducing the cause of dea th b y loo king a t th e s ta te of internal

organs, es tima ting the cause of dea th b y doing his to-pa thology of internal organs, e tc. involves a thoroug h k nowledge of pa thology


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Medical Jurisprudence

Medical jurisprudence means legal aspec ts of prac tice of medicine .For ins tance, a physician while prescri bing

medicines for his pa tien ts is guided by cer tain rules and regula tions .If he is negligen t towards his pa tien ts, he may have to face the law .

All the rules and regula tions which guide a physician during his prac tice come under medical jurisprudence


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Medical Ethics

Medical e th ics deal with th e moral principles which s hould guide mem bers of medical profession in their dealings withone ano ther, with th eir pa tien ts and withtheir St a te . For ins tance a doc tor is no texpec ted to refuse trea tmen t to a pa tien ton religious grounds .


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Medical etiquette

Medical e tique tte deals with th e conven tional laws and cus toms of cour tesy observed be tween mem bers of the medical profession .For ins tance, a doc tor is no t expec ted to charge for giving medical advice and/or medicines to ano ther doc tor .

He is also expec ted to see him ou t of turn . If he follows these guidelines, he is said to have observed proper medical e tique tte


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Case St udy


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Th e au topsy Autopsy was done on the dead body of the th ir ty years old lady, who was no ticed hanging from the boug h of a kee kar tree in a fores t. T he deceasedwas a divorced lady.

A s hawl was tied around her nec k, which b elonged to the deceased .

As a slip -noose was used, liga ture was in con tac t with th e s kin throug hou t th e full circumference of the nec k.


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Th e cause of Dea thTh ere was mar k of saliva dribb ling from the lef t angle of her mou th.Excep t over the uppermos t par t of the right side of the nec k liga ture mar kwas fain t and deficien t on the bac kand sides . It was believed to correspond to the liga ture ma terial as sof t as s hawl . Th ere was evidence of bruising on and around caro tid vessels on the right side .

Sh e had a brasions on the upper fron tof her both legs and also over rightside lower ou ter fron t of the a bdomen .Th ere was no bony in jury in the air passages like the frac ture or disloca tion of the hyoid or thyroid indica tive of manual s trangula tion .

C ause of death by all standards washanging.


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Th e missing earringsDou bt of homicide gained foo tings because fa ther of the deceased held tha t earrings, tha t th e deceased was always wearing, were missing from her ears . S o muc h so the rumor of missing earring had conver ted in to news of recovery and seemed to have reac hed police ears while au topsy was going on .

P olice expec ted au topsy doc tors to provide some vital clues regarding the na ture of hanging . Dismissing earrings based homicide theory au topsy team apprised police, true her ears were withou t any earring but th ere was no fres h or recen t in jury in her ears .

Liga ture mar k was believed to be the resul t of hanging, from a low poin t, for little period and in suc h a posi tion tha t h er legs were touc hing the ground . How could the body examina tion exclude tha ts he could no t and did no t h ang herself s till appeared mys terious to the au topsy team


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Th e Recovery of new evidence

Ab sence of earring in the ears of the deceased was no t given muc h credence till it was recovered from the killers .

Villagers handed over two boys to the police who were found selling the earrings of the deceased .


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Th e confession

Th ey confessed tha t one of them raped her . Th ey then rendered her unconscious during thro ttling.

Th ey also confessed of having crea ted a scene of hanging . According to them in her effor ts to escape s he even fell and sus tained some in juries on the fron t of her legs .

J us t b ecause s he removed her earrings herself to offer them for le tting her go there was no in jury on her ears .

Th ey suspended her for two reasons . Firs t th ey had dou bt th a t s he had no t died and was s till alive . Th ey were so s kep tical a bou t h er dea th th a t even af ter hanging her, one of them came bac k to the scene af ter some time to ma ke sure tha t s he was really dead .

Ano ther reason for hanging her, they told, was tha t th ey knew by crea ting a scene of hanging, even if s he was no ticed no one would suspec t th em .

A divorced young lady in the village would have several reasons to commi t suicide .


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Introduction to Forensic Medicine 09

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