POST-MORTEM
INTRODUCTION
Post-mortem
examination or autopsy in a medico-legal sense is an important duty and
responsibility of a medical officer as it often leads to discovering the innocence
or guilt of the accused in a criminal case and it is the only reliable evidence
on which depends the liberty or life of another person.
Meaning of Post-mortem
A post-mortem examination is a special type of scientific examination of the dead
body carried out under the laws of the state for the protection of its citizens
and to assist in the identification and prosecution of the guilty.
IMPORTANCE
Without a detailed post-mortem examination, no investigation of death could be considered
complete and satisfactory.
Another important
formality is establishing a satisfactory identity of the deceased. This should be
as complete as possible. This should especially include specific points of
identity like scars, moles, tattoo marks, and deformities. In bodies not
identified by friends or relatives, even fingerprints should be taken for
future reference. Over and above the specific points referred to above, some important
non-specific points have material importance. These include age, sex, height, the color of skin, and hair.
Examination of body
Before
commencing post-mortem examination of a body, its identity must be established.
The names of the persons who identified the dead body must be stated in the
post-mortem report and these persons should be examined in Court when the case
comes before it.
DOCTOR'S DUTY
The doctor
who makes the examination must note in his report all the identifying features
such as sex, approximate age, height, the color of the eyes, identifying marks such
as scars and tattoo marks. The doctor should note the time at which the
examination begins and also his estimate as to how long previously the person
must have died. This can be ascertained from the presence and extent or absence
of rigor mortis. The extent, color, and decree of fixation of post-mortem lividity,
the presence, character, putrefaction, and rectal temperature.
TIME OF DEATH
The approximate
estimate of the time of death, i.e. number of hours left between the time of death
and the time of examination is the difference between the rectal temperature
and normal temperature multiplied by 2/3rd.
It is very
necessary to note the exact time at which the body is received, as well as the time
when the examination commenced and concluded. Before commencing the examination,
ideally, the rectal temperature should be taken. The rate at which the body returns
to the environment temperature is governed by basic principles of physics. This helps
in estimating the duration of death and hence the time of death within fair limits.
OUTLINE OF POS-MORTEM REPORT
Post-mortem
is conducted by the authorized medical officer and all the details observed by
him should be carefully entered on the spot by himself in the post-mortem
report. Following is the outline of the post-mortem report
On the body
of ………….
Place…………… Date……..
Time ………
Body identified
by……….
Height…………
Probable age…………..
Probable time
since death…………………….
A A.EXTERNALEXAMINATION:
(i)
Condition
of the body as regards muscularity, stoutness, emaciation, rigor mortise and
decomposition
(ii)
Marks
of identification especially in the case of the body of an unknown person.
(iii)
Marks of violence
(iv)
Eyes
(v)
State
of natural orifices, ears, nostrils, mouth anus, urethra, vagina.
(vi)
Injuries
nature, exact position, and measurements including direction especially in
incised wounds.
(vii)
State
of libs, bones, and joints.
(viii) External organs of generation
(ix)
Genitalia
(x)
Rectal
temperature
(xi)
Additional
remarks