Text-book of forensic medicine and toxicology

by R. J. M. Buchanan

PREFACE

The present edition of Forensic Medicine, Toxicology, and Public Health has been issued in two volumes; the first, on Public Health, written by Professor Hope, has been already published separately. Hitherto the subjects have been dealt with in a single volume under the title of Husband‘s Forensic Medicine, but as they are now being taught by different lecturers and in separate classes in most of the medical schools, it has been thought advisable to issue the work in two parts. This volume on Forensic Medicine and Toxicology has been revised throughout, and certain alterations and additions have been made, whilst at the same time the view that the work is intended for students and junior practitioners has not been lost sight of.

The author expresses his indebtedness to Dr. M‘Fall, Demonstrator of Toxicology in the University of Liverpool, for his assistance in revising the section on “Toxicology,” and also to the publishers for the compilation of the index.

Apart from the general bibliography mentioned in the text, the works of Taylor and Stevenson, Dickson, Mann, Glaister, Petersen and Haynes, have been consulted.

A plate, showing the centre of ossification in the lower epiphysis of the femur in a full time fœtus, has been introduced at the last moment, and will be found [opposite page 64]. References to the subject may also be found on [pages 33] and [174].

CONTENTS

SECTION I
FORENSIC MEDICINE
CHAP.		PAGE
	Introduction	[ 1]
I.	Legal Criminal Procedure	[ 2]
II.	Medical Evidence Generally, Identity	[11]
III.	Modes of Dying, Sudden Death, Signs of Death	[38]
IV.	Post-mortem Examinations and Exhumations,
	Instructions of the Crown Office in Scotland	[56]
V.	Assaults, Homicide, and Wounds	[68]
VI.	Blood Stains, Spectra, and Biological Tests	[89]
VII.	Burns and Scalds, Contusions and Bruises	[110]
VIII.	Suffocation, Hanging, Strangling, and Throttling	[118]
IX.	Drowning	[127]
X.	Death from Starvation, Cold and Heat,
	Lightning and Electricity	[132]
XI.	Offences against Chastity	[140]
XII.	Pregnancy and Delivery	[150]
XIII.	Fœticide, or Criminal Abortion	[159]
XIV.	Infanticide, Live Birth, Cause of Death to the Fœtus	[165]
XV.	Inheritance, Legitimacy, Impotence and Sterility,
	Survivorship, Malpraxis and Neglect of Duty, Feigned
	Diseases, Exemption from Public Duties, Wills	[184]
XVI.	Mental unsoundness, General Symptoms of Insanity,
	Mania, Melancholia, Dementia, Restraint of the Insane,
	Forms of Medical Certificates, Testamentary Capacity	[192]
SECTION II
TOXICOLOGY
I.	Definition of a Poison, Sale of Poisons, Classification
	of Poisons, Action of Poisons, General Evidence
	of Poisoning, General Treatment in Cases of Poisoning,
	General Methods of Examination for Poison	[227]
II.	Division 1: Chemical—Corrosive Poisons	[246]
III.	Division 2: Vital—Metalloid Irritants	[267]
IV.	Metallic Irritants	[274]
V.	Vegetable and Animal Irritants	[317]
VI.	Food Poisoning (Bromatotoxismus	[328]
VII.	Vegetable Alkaloids	[335]
VIII.	Narcotic Poisons	[343]
IX.	Deliriant Poisons	[349]
X.	Inebriant Poisons	[354]
XI.	Sedative Poisons	[364]
XII.	Cerebral Poisons	[377]
XIII.	Neural Poisons	[385]
XIV.	Excitomotory Poisons	[388]
XV.	Irrespirable Gases	[397]
	INDEX	[405]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

SECTION I
FORENSIC MEDICINE
Plate showing Centre of Ossification in the Lower Epiphysi of		PAGE
Femur in full time Fœtus		[To face 64]
FIG.
1.	Finger Prints	[24]
2.	Finger Prints	[25]
3.	Photo-micrograph of transverse section of Normal Hair Follicle	[27]
4.	Photo-micrograph of Wool Fibres	[90]
5.	Photo-micrograph of Flax Fibres	[91]
6.	Photo-micrograph of Silk Fibres	[92]
7.	Photo-micrograph of Cotton Fibres	[93]
8.	Measurement of Blood Corpuscles (human)	[97]
9.	Measurement of Blood Corpuscles (sheep)	[97]
10.	Photo-micrograph of Red Blood Corpuscles from Domestic Fowl	[99]
11.	Photo-micrograph of Blood Corpuscles of Fish	[99]
12.	Photo-micrograph of Blood Corpuscles from a Dried Stain of the Blood of a Cod-fish	[100]
13.	Photo-micrograph of a Frog‘s Blood showing oval nucleated Red Corpuscles	[101]
14.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Hæmin	[102]
15.	Blood Spectra	[104]
[16.]	Pulse Tracings before and after Execution
[17.]
[18.]		opposite 121
19.	Hymen of Child of Four Years—Annular Type	[144]
20.	Virgin Hymen, with Central Slit	[144]
21.	Photo-micrograph of Human Spermatozoa	[147]
22.	Deflorated Hymen, after Parturition, in Adult Woman	[149]
23.	Abortion at Fourth Week	[159]
24.	Abortion between Sixth and Eighth Week	[160]
25.	Abortion at Tenth Week	[160]
26.	Photo-micrograph of Human Milk	[177]
27.	Photo-micrograph of Starch Granules	[179]
SECTION II
TOXICOLOGY
28.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Oxalic Acid	[258]
29.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Oxalic Acid	[259]
30.	Photo-micrograph of Sublimate of Arsenious Acid obtained by Reinsch‘s Process	[284]
31.	Dowzard‘s Apparatus for Gutzeit‘s Test for Arsenic	[285]
32.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Tartarated Antimony	[292]
33.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Tartarated Antimony	[293]
34.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Corrosive Sublimate	[298]
35.	Photo-micrograph of Globules of Mercury obtained by Reinsch‘s Process	[303]
36.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Hydrochloride of Morphine	[339]
37.	Photo-micrograph of Meconic Acid crystallised from Aqueous Solution	[340]
38.	Photo-micrograph of Meconic Acid crystallised from an Alcoholic Solution	[340]
39.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Cyanide of Silver obtained by the Vapour Test	[372]
40.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Strychnine Sulphate from an Aqueous Solution	[389]
41.	Photo-micrograph of Crystal of Strychnine Sulphate from Aqueous Solution	[389]
42.	Photo-micrograph of Strychnine Sulphate, Film Preparation from Chloroform Solution	[391]
43.	Photo-micrograph of Chromate of Strychnine	[391]
44.	Photo-micrograph of Sulphocyanate of Strychnine	[392]
45.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Brucine Sulphate	[395]
46.	Photo-micrograph of Crystals of Brucine Sulphate	[395]

FORENSIC MEDICINE
AND TOXICOLOGY

SECTION I

FORENSIC MEDICINE