- It deals with the examination and Diagnosis of Individuals Who Have Been Injured by or who have died because of external or unnatural causes such as poisoning, assault, suicide, and other forms of violence.
The manner of death, the circumstances surrounding the cause of death, which, in most jurisdictions include the following -Homicide, Accidental, Natural, Suicide, Undetermined
Ipc sec 46, Defines death – “The Words death” denotes the death of human beings.
Death is defined as the irreversible cessation of life, insensibility inability to move, and permanent and complete stoppage of functions and vital organs of the body known as tripod of life.
- Brain
- Heart
- Lungs
Stages of death– As per Shapiro there are two stages
Somatic death -It refers to the death of the tissue, system, or body and is clinical death, as a whole. It coincides with the death of the brain stem.
Molecular death-It is the death of all the individual cells within the body. It follows 2-3 hrs after somatic death
Forensic medicine is an immense and interesting branch of medical science which deals with medical science which deals with medical aspects of law. It Includes two concepts first is forensic which means “court of law” and the other is medicine which deals with medical and pharmaceutical knowledge.
So that knowledge of that aspects is used in the judiciary system. It helps in examining and analyzing the body in injuries, murder, accident, suicide poisoning, etc.
Father of forensic medicine- Sir Bernard Spilsbury
Forensic medicine was also known as state medicine in 1949
It is multi dispensary branch that coincides with various practices like:
- Pathology
- Odontology
- Toxicology
And many more:
It has many categories in a different frame of examination for analyzing or examining various injuries on living bodies and other one for the analyzing or examining inquest corpse
Stages of muscle changes in the body after death
Primary relaxation
Rigor mortis (Stiffening of muscles)
Secondary relaxation