Forensic Medicine

Prof. Meng Xiangzhi

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 Introduction
 Forensic Medicine also called legal medicine,

deals with the application of medical

knowledge to resolve medical problems in the
administration of justice.
 It is a natural science.

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Medical jurisprudence deals with legal
responsibilities of the physician and problems
arising from physician-patient relationship.
 It is a complex of all laws and regulation concerning

medicine.
 It’s a social science

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Forensic science deals with the application of
all the science and technology to aid in the
administration of justice.
 It includes forensic medicine, trace identification,

handwriting checkup, fingerprint and footprint

examination, etc.
 It is also a natural science.

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The subdivision of forensic medicine
 Forensic pathology (corpse)

 Clinical forensic medicine (living body)

 Forensic toxicology (poisoning)

 Forensic toxicological analysis (analytical chemistry)

 Forensic psychiatry (mental disorder)

 Medico-legal physical evidence (forensic serology,

forensic genetics, forensic dentistry, forensic

anthropology, etc.) 5
 Subdivision Objects Methods Aims Personnel
Forensic corpse Autopsy, external and Cause, time and manner Pathologist
pathology pathological of death
examination

Clinical forensic Living body All the clinical The nature and extent of Clinician
medicine techniques injury and the grade of
disability

Forensic Corpse and Autopsy and animal Provide the clue or Pathologist
toxicology living body experiment direction for detecting
poison

Forensic poison Instrumental detect (gas The qualitative and Chemist

toxicological chromatography) quantitative analysis of
analysis poison
Forensic Living body Psychiatric analysis Evaluate the psychiatric psychiatrist
psychiatry state

Medico-legal Biological DNA analysis and Individual identification Immunologist

physical evidence matters (blood, morphological (the origin of biological and geneticist
semen) matters
observation
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 Duties of forensic medicine
 To determine the cause and manner of death.

 To identify the deceased if it is necessary.

 To determine the time of death.

 To collect evidence that can be used to prove or

disprove an individual’s guilt or innocence.

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 To document any natural disease present.

 To document injuries or lack of them, and how the

injuries occurred.
 To evaluate the extent of injury and grade of

disability
 To provide expert testimony if the case goes to trial.

 To checkup blood stains, seminal stains, hair and

other fluids or fragments to provide evidence.

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 The object of forensic medicine
1. Scene investigation

(2) Personnel

(3) Procedure: understand of case history-take picture-

(save victim)-primary external examination-

providing some clue for detective-seek for
evidence.
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2. Examination of living body
(1) Get permission

(2) Examination

(3) Opinion (conclusion) for extent of injury or disability.

3. Examination of corpse
(1) External examination

(2) Autopsy

4. Examination of physical evidence

5. Checkup of the medical document

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 The history of forensic medicine
 Progress with the development of medicine and law

 Originated from the prohibition against suicide

 Caecsar’s death

 His Yuan Lu published in 1247 (first book about

forensic medicine in the world)

 First autopsy by Ambrose Pare in 16th century

 First lecture in Leipzig (Germany) 11

 physicians was called upon to aid in the solution of

fatal crimes
 Institute of forensic medicine was set up in Europe

 Landsteiner found ABO groups in 1901(denial

times)

 DNA analytical technique invented (confirmative

times)

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 The system of forensic medicine

1. Coroner system
(2) Originated in 1194 England

(3) The coroner is from the crowner

(4) Development from lay person to physician to pathologist

(5) Replacement by forensic examiner system

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2. Medical examiner system
(1) Originated in 1918 New York City (chief medical examiner)

(2) Development from physician to pathologist to forensic pathologist

(3) The duty of investigator

(4) Procedures of the medical examiner office

3. Institute of forensic medicine systems

4. Other systems

(1) Chinese system

(2) India system

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 Police inquest

(1) Receive information about violent death

(2) Report to the magistrate and go to the scene

(3) Investigation

(4) Send the corpse to be examined

(5) Authorized government doctor and private medical

institution get permission of the state government

can perform postmortem examination. 15
 Magistrate inquest

(1) Death in police custody, and while under police

inquest

(2) death due to police shooting

(3) death in prison

(4) death in psychiatric hospital

(5) dowry death

(6)exhumation. 16
 Doctor and law
 Physician’s responsibility in criminal
matters
Physicians should report crime to magistrate or
police officer
 Doctors involved in legal actions
1. As a citizen to be defendant or plaintiff
2. As a defendant due to medical profession

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 Three types of witness

1. An ‘ordinary witness’ or a ‘witness as to fact’

have nothing to do with medical profession.

2. A ‘professional witness’ provides pure facts

obtained during his medical work.

3. An ‘expert witness’ provides opinion based on his

experience and knowledge.

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 The doctor in court
1. Providing witness in a form of medical report.

2. The medical report is accepted as evidence, if there is

no objection.

3. Go to court, if court summons.

4. Swear in witness-box

5. Examination in chief and cross examination

6. Defence doctor
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