Legal Med Flashcards
Branch of medicine which deals with the application of medical knowledge to the purposes of law and in the
administration of justice
Legal medicine
Application of medicine to legal cases
Legal medicine
Application of medical science to elucidate legal problems
Forensic medicine
Knowledge of law in relation to the practice of
medicine.
Medical jurisprudence
Injury/Disease point of view: Treatment
ORDINARY PHYSICIAN
Injury/Disease point of view: Cause
MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICER
Examine a patient: Diagnose
ORDINARY PHYSICIAN
Examine a patient: Testify / justice
MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICER
Minor injuries: Ignored
ORDINARY PHYSICIAN
Minor injuries: Records all / qualify crime
MEDICO-LEGAL OFFICER
Principle: When the court has once laid an interpretation of law as applied to certain facts, it will adhere to and apply to all future cases
PRINCIPLE OF STARE DECISIS
Persons authorized to perform autopsies
- Health Officers
- Medical officer of law enforcement agencies.
- Members of the medical staff of accredited hospitals.
Types of evidence: Made known to the senses
Autoptic or Real evidence
Types of evidence: Oral under oath
Testimonial evidence
Most reliable & effective questioning technique
Use of control questions
Does not response to added relevant question
Guilt complex test
Subject verbal response creates distortion in
the tracing or clearing of the throat
Silent answer test
Most valuable method of identification of persons
FINGERPRINTING
Fingerprint is formed in
Fetus
Fingerprint is not changeable at
4th month AOG [SAMPLEX, 4 weeks]
Fingerprint used as substitute for signature
Right thumb print
Art and study of recording fingerprints as means of id
DACTYLOGRAPHY
Comparison of fingerprints
DACTYLOSCOPY
Study of pores found on the pappillary friction ridges of skin
Poroscopy
Hardest substance of the body
Enamel
Scientific methods of identification
- Fingerprinting
- Dental identification
- handwriting
- Identification of skeleton
- Determination of Sex, Age
- Identification of blood, blood stains
- Identification of hair, fibers
Outlast other tissues in putrefaction
Enamel
Science of handwriting analysis
BIBLIOTIC
Study of handwriting for the purpose of determining the
writers personality, character and aptitude
GRAPHOLOGY
In determining height, add ___ to skeletal height for the soft tissues
1 to 1.5 in
Two French anatomist devised a formula for the determination of the height for males and females
Topinard and Rollet
Table of different height of bones for different ages and their corresponding statures
Humphrey’s table
Used in determination of sex of the skeleton
a) Pelvis
b) Skull
c) Sternum
d) Femur
e) Humerus
Male vs female pelvis: Curve of iliac crest reaches higher level
Male
Male vs female pelvis: Iliopectineal line sharp
Male
Male vs female pelvis: Obturator foramen egg-shaped
Male
Male vs female pelvis: Obturator foramen triangular
Female
Male vs female cranium: Mastoid process larger
Male
Male vs female cranium: Cranium placed horizontally
rest on mastoid process
Male
Male vs female cranium: Cranium placed horizontally
rest on occipital& maxillary bones
Female
Male vs female cranium: Zygomatic arches more prominent
Male
Male vs female cranium: Face larger in proportion to cranium
Male
All soft tissues in a grave disappear within
1 year
Sexual deviation by desire to assume the attire and be
accepted as a member of the opposite sex
Transvestism
Presumptive vs highly probable vs conclusive evidence of sex: Hair
Presumptive
Presumptive vs highly probable vs conclusive evidence of sex: Vagina, large breast
Highly probable
Presumptive vs highly probable vs conclusive evidence of sex: Ovary
Conclusive
Determination of age of fetus
Hess’s rule or Haase’s rule
Hess’s rule or Haase’s rule: Fetus of less than 25 cm long-
Square root of length in cm, result in months
Hess’s rule or Haase’s rule: Fetus > 25 cm
Divide the length of the fetus by 5 and the result is the age in month
ID of blood and blood stains: Bluish-white in a dark room
Luminescence test
ID of blood and blood stains: Physical exam
Solubility
Heat
Luminescence
ID of blood and blood stains: 3amino-phtalic-acid-hydrazide-HCL, Sodium peroxide , distilled water
Luminescence test
Chemical ID of blood: Saline extract of the blood plus ammonia yields
Brownish color, alkaline hematin
Chemical ID of blood: Blue color in white filter paper
Benzidine test
Chemical ID of blood: Guaiacum + H2O2 = Blue
Van Deen’s Dyas/Schombein
Chemical ID of blood: Pink
Phenophthalein (Kastle-Meyer) test
Identified using leukomalachite green test
Blood
Microscopic exam of blood:
1) Hemochromogen crystal or Takayama test
2) Teichmann’s blood crystals or Hemin crystal test
3) Acetone-haemin or Wagenhaar test
Best microchemical test for blood
Teichmann’s blood crystals or Hemin crystal test
Positive to any substance containing hgb
Takayama
Addition of NaCl forms dark brown rhombic prisms of chloride (hematin)
Teichmann/Hemin crystal test
Biologic test which determines whether blood is human or not
Precipitin test
Biologic exams to test for blood
Precipitin
Blood grouping
Age of blood stains: Hgb converted to Methgb of hematin red to red-brown, warm weather
Within 24 hours
Human vs animal hair: Medulla, cells invisible w/out tx in H2O
Human
Human vs animal hair: Medulla, cells easily visible
Animal
Human vs animal hair: Medulla, air network in fine grains
Human
Human vs animal hair: Medulla, air network large or small sacks
Animal
Human vs animal hair: Cortex looks like a thick muff
Human
Human vs animal hair: Cortex looks like a thin hollow cylinder
Animal
Human vs animal hair: Cuticle have thin scales
Human
Human vs animal hair: Cuticle have thick scales
Animal
T/F The civil personality of a natural person is extinguished by death
T
T/F The property of a person is transmitted to his heirs at the time of death
T
T/F The death of a partner does not cause dissolution of partnership agreement
F, causes dissolution of partnership
T/F The death of either the principal or agent is a mode of extinguishment of agency
T
T/F Criminal liability is not extinguished by death
F, extinguished by death
T/F The civil case for claims which does not survive is dismissed upon death of the defendant
T
Kind of death: Discontinuance of cardiac activity and respiration, and eventually leads to the death of all body cells from lack of oxygen
Somatic death/Clinical death
Kind of death: 3 to six hours after cessation of life
Molecular or cellular death
Kind of death: Transient loss of consciousness in hysteria, uremia, electric shock
Apparent death or state of suspended animation
ULTIMEN MARIENS
Usually the auricle contract after somatic death for a longer period than the ventricle (last to stop)
Exam of peripheral circulation
Magnus test Icard test Diaphanous test Spurting of small artery Pressure on fingernails Blistering of skin on application of heat
Exam of peripheral circulation: Application of ligature around base of finger results in a bloodless area at site of application = alive
Magnus
Exam of peripheral circulation: Injection of flourescein SQ results in greenish yellow discolouration in the whole skin = alive
Icard
Exam of peripheral circulation: Fingers spread wide through a strong light = red = alive
Diaphanous test
Magnus test in a dead man
No bloodless area at site of ligature application
Icard test in a dead man
Greenish yellow discoloration only in the area of injection
Death is cessation of respiration for more than
3.5 minutes
Saucer with water or mercury placed on chest
Winslow test
___ hours after death, the cooling is rapid
First two
Fall of temp. of ___ degrees Fahrenheit is considered as a certain sign of death
15 to 20
Rise of temp. of the body after death
POST-MORTEM CALORICITY
POST-MORTEM CALORICITY is due to
Rapid and early putrefactive changes
POST-MORTEM CALORICITY is usually observed during ___ hours
First 2
POST-MORTEM CALORICITY = seen in
Cholera, liver abscess, tetanus, RF, Strynine poisoning, peritonitis, yellow fever, cerebrospinal fever, smallpox
Factors delaying the rate of cooling of the body, connected with body
- Acute pyrexial disease
- Sudden death in good health
- Obesity of person
- Death from asphyxia
- Death of the middle age
Factors accelerating cooling, connected with body
- Leaness of the body
- Extreme age
- Long-standing illness
- Chronic pyrexial disease with wasting
Factors delaying cooling, connected with surroundings
- Clothings
- Want of access of air to the body
- Small room
- Warm surroundings
Factors accelerating cooling, connected with surroundings
- Unclothed body
- Conditions allowing the access of air
- Large room permitting the dissipation of heat
- Cooling more rapid in water than in air
Micro chemical exams for sperm
Florence
Berberio
Puramen
Acid phosphatase
Micro chemical exams specific of spermatic fluid/spermine
Berberio
Micro chemical exams for sperm, detection of choline
Florence
Determines whether semen is from human or not
Precitipitin test aka biological test of Farnum
Micro chemical exams for sperm, yellow, rhombic to needle-shaped crystals
Berberio
Micro chemical exams for sperm, dark-brown needle-shaped crystals
Florence
Microscopic exam for sperm
Dr. Hankin’s mtd
Ganguli mtd
Indentations left in soft or pliable materials belong to what type of fingerprints
Plastic
Fingerprint: Not visible after impression but after application of substances
Latent
Fingerprint: Visible without treatment
Visible
Race: Thick lips, prominent eyes
Negro
Characteristics which may easily be changed
a) growth of hair, beard
b) grade or profession
c) clothing
d) body ornamentations
e) frequent place of visit
Characteristics that may not be easily be changed
a) mental memory
b) speech
c) gait
d) mannerism
e) handedness-left /right
f) hands and feet
g) complexion
h) changes in the eyes
i) facies
j) degree of nutrition
Van Urk test
LSD
Xwikker test
Barbiturate
Marquis test
Heroin, morphine, etc
Race: Brown, flat nose round face, round head
Malay
Age of scar: Slightly elevated, reddish/bluish, tender to touch
Recent
Age of scar: Inflammatory redness, soft, sensitive
Few weeks-2 months
Age of scar: Brownish, free from contraction, soft
2 – 6 months
Age of scar: White, glistening, contracted, tough
> 6 months
Scar formation is delayed by
Sepsis, age, depth of wound, mobility
Scar may not develop if
Small, superficial, healed by first intention
T/F Birth marks like nevi may be removed by CO snow, electrocautery, or excision
T
T/F Moles are permanent and can only be removed by surgery
T
T/F Blood typing may be utilised to distinguish 1 person from another
F
Child vs old person: Fine hair deficient of pigments and devoid of medulla
Child
Fingerprint may persist if not removed at the scene for
Years
Method to approximate height with the extremities missing
Length of head times 8
Race: Prominent sharp nose
Caucasian
Race: Almond eyes and prominent cheek bones
Mongolian
Population: Hair is long, wiry, thick
Adolescent
Population: Hair color is white or gray, with marked absorption of pigments and degenerative changes
Old person
The distance from the base of the skull to the coccyx is ___ of the height
44%
The distance between the supra-sternal notch and the pubic symphysis which is ___ of the height
1/3
T/F Height is equal to the length of the vertex of the skull to the pubic symphysis times 2
T
Leonine facies
Leprosy
Elephantiasis
Facies indicative of approaching death
Hippocratic
CONTUSION VS. POST-MORTEM HYPOSTASIS: Below the epidermis
Contusion
CONTUSION VS. POST-MORTEM HYPOSTASIS: In the epidermis or in the cutis
Post mortem hypostasis
CONTUSION VS. POST-MORTEM HYPOSTASIS: Cuticle unabraded
Post-mortem hypostasis
CONTUSION VS. POST-MORTEM HYPOSTASIS: Cuticle was probably abraded
Contusion
CONTUSION VS. POST-MORTEM HYPOSTASIS: Appears at the seat of and surrounding the injury
Contusion
CONTUSION VS. POST-MORTEM HYPOSTASIS: Always in a part which for the time of information is dependent
Post-mortem hypostasis