Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Forensic Medicine
Forensic Medicine
Forensic Medicine
COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
URDANETA CITY
FORENSIC MEDICINE
I. INTRODUCTION
This hand out is intended to familiarize the participants with the principles of medicine as
applied to law, and to correlate the same to other scientific investigation procedures loading to
the solution of crimes.
Legal Medicine - is the branch of medicine which deals with the application of medical
knowledge to the purposes of law and justice.
Forensic Medicine - is a branch of medical science which deals with the application of
medical knowledge to elucidate legal problems.
Medical Jurisprudence - is the branch of law which deals with the organization and
regulation of the medical profession.
Evidence - is the means, sanction by the law of a ascertaining in the judicial proceeding he
truth respecting a matter of the fact.
4. Kinds of Witnesses:
Expert Witness the opinion of the witness regarding a question of science, arts or
trade, where he is skilled therein, may be received in evidence.
Ordinary Witnesses- all persons who, having organs of sense, can perceive, the
perceiving can make known their perception to others, may be witnesses.
III. Medical Aspect of Criminal Investigation
Some aspect of criminal investigation involves psychology & neurological
consideration in the process of investigation & deception detections.
A. Criminal Interrogation – A good interrogation must have the capacity to size- up the
subject & and select an effectively tactics and technique most appropriate for the
occasion:
1.Kinds Offenders:
Emotional
Non- emotional
Professional
Ordinary
Rational
Irrational
Active Aggressive offender
Passive inadequate offender
3. Methods Used:
Use of lie detection or polygraphy
Administration of truth “ serum” (hyoscine hydrobromide)
Intoxication- alcohol beverages
Word association test
Narco analysis of narcosynthesis
Hynotism
Scientific Interrogation
Observation
Confession.
When an unknown body is found, the following should be noted by the investigator to
facilitate identification:
1. Place where body was found.
2. Time when found
3. Caused of death
4. Time when death occurred
5. Approximate age
6. Supposed profession
7. Description of the body
Points of identification Applicable to both living and death before onset of
decomposition.
1. Occupation mark 7. Deformitics
2. Race 8.Birth marks
a. color of skin 9.Injuries leaving permanent result
b. Feature of face 10. Moles
3. Stature 11. Scars
4. Teeth 12.Tribal marks
5. Tattoo marks 13.Sexual organ
6. Weight 14.Blood group
15. Finger prints
Death - the state of complete, persistent and continuous cessation of the vital function of
the body.
Kinds Death
1. Somatic or clinical death
2. Molecular or cellular death
3. Apparent death or state of suspended animation
Signs of Death
1. Cessation of heart action and circulation.
2. Cessation respiration – for a period not longer than 3-1/2 minutes.
3. Cooling of the body (ALGOR MORTIS) – The fall of temperature of 14-20 degrees
Fahrenheit is considered as a certain signs of death.
4. Insensibility of the body and loss of power to move
5. Changes in and about the eye
6. Loss of cornmeal reflex
7. Clouding of the cornea
Causes of Death
Natural death
Violent Death
Accident
Negligent
Infanticidal
Parricidal
Murder
Momicidal
Judicial Death
b. Cuticle was probably abraded by the same b. Cuticle unabraded, because the hypostasis
violence that produce the bruise. In small is a mere sinking of the blood; there is no
punctures, such as flea bites, this is not observed. Trauma.
c. A bruise appears at the seat of and surrounding c. Always in a part which for the time of
the injury. This may or may not be a dependent information is dependent, i.e, at a place
part. Where gravity ordains it.
d. Often elevated, because the extravasated blood d. Not elevated, because either the blood is
and subsequent inflammation swell the tissues. still in the vessels or, at most, has simply
soaked into a stained the tissues.
e. Incision shows blood outside the vessels. This e. Incision shows the blood is still in its
is the most certain test of difference, and vessel; and if any oozing occurs drops
can be observed even in very small bruises. can be seen issuing from the cut mouths
of the vessels.
f. Colour variegated. This is only true of bruises f. Colour uniform. The well known change
that are some days old; it is due to the changes in colour (green, yellow, etc.) produced
in the hemoglobin produced during life. in blood extravastated into living tissues
does not occur in dead tissues with the
same regularity.
g. If the body happens to be constricted at, or g. In a place which would otherwise be the
supported on, a bruise place, the actual surface seat of a hypostasis pressure of any kind,
of contact may be a little lighter than the rest of the even simple support (the wrinkling of a
bruise but will not be white. shirt or necktie, garters, etc.) is sufficient
to obliterate the lumen of venules and
capillaries, and so to prevent their filling with
blood. White lines or patches of pressure
bordered by the dark color of a hypostasis are
produced and marks of floggings,
strangulation, etc. are thus sometimes
simulated.
Classification of Wounds:
1.As to severity
a. Mortal wounds
b. Non- mortal wounds
5. As regards the relation of the site of the application of force and location of injury.
Coup injury- injury found at site of the application of force
Contre-Coup- injury found opposite the site of the application of force
Coup contre Coup- injury found of the site and also opposite the site or
application of force
Locus minoris resistencia- Injury found both at the site and opposite the site
of application of the force but injury is located in some areas offering least
resistance to the force applied.
Extensive injury- injury involving a greater area, beyond the site of the
application of force.
7. Legal classification
Mutilation- intentional act of loping or cutting of any part of the living body.
Serious physical Injury- Injury that will incapacitate the subject for more than 90 days
or 730 days.
Less serious physical Injury- Injury that will require medical attendance for 10 days
more but not more that 30 days to 10- 28 days.
Slight physical Injury & maltreatment- Injury that will incapacity subjects and required
medical attendance from 1 to 9 days.
a. Abrasion- characterize by the removal of the superficial layer of the skin brought about
by friction against a hard rough surface.
4. Forms of abrasion:
a. Linear
b. Multi- linear
c.Confluent- almost indistinguishable due n to severity of friction and
roughness of the objects.
d. Multiple- several abrasion noted or the body surface of a person
5. Types of abrasion
a. Scratches c. Impact or imprint abrasion
b. Grazes d. Pressure of friction abrasion
g. Mutilation
h. Avulation
This can be ascertained by examining individually the wounds and nothing which of them
involving injury to some vital organs large vessels or led to secondary result causing death.
1. Production of Combustion:
Bullet – gun shot wound
Flame – Singeing/ Searing
Smoke – smudging
Gun power residue – tattooing
Grime – Tabooing
2. Firearm Wounds:
a. Gunshot wound.
Differences between entrance & exit
ENTRANCE EXIT
1. appears to be smaller than missiles 1. Always bigger that missile
owing to elasticity of tissue expect contact 2. Edges averted
2.Edge inverted 3. Variable shape
3. Usually ovaloid or rounded 4. Contusion collar absent
4. Contusion collar present 5. Always absent
5. Other product of combustion when 6. Always negative
firing is near ( Tattooing, smudging)
Paraffin test may be positive
4. Determination of the probable caliber of the firearm use in the infliction – measure in
centimeter the cross diameter of the gunshot wound from the collar- the shortest
diameter is the probable caliber.
G. Shotgun Wound
1. kinds of bore shotgun
a) Un choked bore or straight bore
b) Choked bore
1. Improved cylinder - narrowing of the bore from rear to the muzzle is 3-5
thousandth of an inches.
2. Half chook - narrowing of the barrel is 15-20 thousand of an inch.
3. Full chook – narrowing of the barrel is 35-20 thousandth of an inch.
d) Distance of 2 to 3 yards
1. The wound of entrance has big central hole with rugged edge with few stray
wound of entrance evident:
2. Smudging & tattooing no longer evident
e) Distance of 4 yards- pellets may enter skin area of about 6 to 8 inches diameter
although there may be a central care where a group might have entered.
h) Health by asphyxia – all forms of violent death which result primarily from the
interference with the process of respiration or to condition in which the supply of oxygen to the
blood or tissue or both has been reduced below normal level.
1. Hanging
2. Strangulation
By ligature
Manual or throttling
Special form of strangulations
Palma
Garroting
Mugging or Yoking
Compression of neck with stick
3. Suffocation-
a. Smothering – closing of mouth and nostrils by solid object
b. Choking
b. Sexual Crimes
Rape
Seduction
a. qualified
b. Simple
Acts of lasciviousness
abduction
a. Forcible
b. Consented
White slave crude
Adultery
Concubine
Unnatural sexual offenses
Abused against CHASTITY
Pregnancy - is the state of a woman who has within her body the going products of
conception.
a. Legal importance of the study of pregnancy
1.Pregnancy is ground for the suspension of the execution of the death sentence in the
woman.
2. A conceived child is capable of receiving donation
Archeim- Zondel Test
Friedman test
Xenopus o Hogben test
Qualitative color test for pregnancy
Estrone administration
b. Duration of pregnancy – 270- 280 days from onset of last menstruation
c. Abnormally prolonged gestation – beyond 300 days.
d. Minimum period of gestation – compatible with viability of the child born at 180 days may live.
e. Super fecundation – fertilization made by separate intercourse of two ova which have
escaped at the same act of .
f. Super faction – fertilization of two ova which have escapade at different acts of ovulation.
g. Psuedocyesis or Spurious pregnancy- imaginary pregnancy.
4. Methods of delivery
Natural Route- thru normal passages
Spontaneous
Surgical intervention
Instrumentation
Surgical Route
Abdominal cesarean section
Vaginal cesarean section
Post- mortem cesarean section
Willful killing of the fetus in the uterus, or violent expulsion of the fetus from the natural
womb which results to the death of the fetus.
There must be the intention of the physician to produced abortion and the absence of
intention will not make the physician criminally liable.
C. Kinds of abortion:
Spontaneous or natural
Induced
Therapeutic
Criminal
b. By Commission
1. By inflicting physician injuries
2. By suffocation
3. By strangulation By drowning
4. By poisoning
5. By burning
6. By deliberate exposure to heat and cold
B. kinds of children
1. Legitimate children
2. Legitimate children (proper)- born in lawful wedlock or within 300 days after the
dissolution of marriage.
Presumption of legitimacy – children born after 180 days following the celebration of marriage,
and before 300 days following its dissolution to the separation of the spouses shall be presumed
to the legitimate.
Against their presumption no evidence shall be admitted other than of the physician
impossibility of the husband’s having access to his wife within the first 180 days of the 300
which preceded the birth of the child.
B. Legitimate Children:
Legitimation – is defined as a remedy by which a child born out of lawful wed lock is considered
illegitimate and by fiction of law considered legitimate by subsequent valid marriage of the
parents:
Natural children are these born outside lawful of parents who, at the time of the conception of
the former were not disqualified by an impediment to Mary each other.
C. Adopted Children:
Adoption is defined as the act or proceeding by which of paternity & foliation are recognized s
legal existing between person not so related by nature.
Illegitimate who are not natural are considered spurious children may be:
1. Adulterous Children – conceived in the act of adultery or concubinage.
2. Sacrilegious Children – Children born of parents who have been ordained in sacris.
3. Incestuous Children – Children born by parents who are legally incapable of contracting
marriage because of their blood relations as marriage between brother & sisters.
Father and daughter, etc.
4. Manceres – Children conceived by prostitute. It is very difficult to determine the father
because of the nature of the work.
Artificial Insemination – Is the introduction of seminal fluid with spermatozoa in the generative of
a woman by any means of springe pippete, irrigator, etc
I. Medical Evidence
a) Parental likeness
b) Blood grouping
c) Evidence from the mother
a. Proof of previous delivery
b. Proof of physical potency & fertility
c. Proof of capacity to have access with the husband
b) Cause of impotency
1. General or functional, unconnected directly with the sexual organs:
a) Age
b) Illness
c) Emotion
d) Hormonal disjunction
2. Local or organic, in direct connection with the sexual organs:
a. Congenital defects
1. In males
a. Non- development of the penis
b. Male development of the penis
c. Penis adherent to the scrotum
2. In females:
a. Absent of vagina
b. Vagina ill- developed
c. vagina occluded by intra- uterine disease
b. Disease or accident
1. In the males:
a. Penis
a) Acute disease of the penis as gonorrhea
b) Chronic disease of the penis as spithelioma
c) Complete amputation of the penis
c) Testis
Removal of the testis
Sexual abuse
In the Females:
Vaginal laceration
Disease of the vulvae
obstruction of the vaginal canal due to tumor, cyst of fibroid
II. STERILITY – Is the loss of power of procreation and is also man or a woman may be sterile
& yet impotent, impotent yet not sterile.
a) General functional, unconnected directly with the sexual organs:
b) Local cause of sterility
1). Congenital
In the male:
Absence of testicle
Absence of penis
Mal- development of the testicle
Mal-development of the testis in uterus
Misplacement of the testis
Mal- formation of the penis, as epipadias or hypospadias.
In the female:
Absence or mal-development of the ovary
Absence of mal- development of the uterus
Absence of the vagina
b) In the female:
a) Excision of the ovary
b) Disease of the ovary
c) Occlusion of the vagina from the diseases
d) Diseases of the vagina
e) Occlusion of the fallopian tube