FRSC 1010H Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Rigor Mortis, Forensic Pathology, Livor Mortis
17 Nov 2017
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Document Summary
Pathologist: medical doctor who investigates and studies disease in humans. Forensic pathology: branch of medicine used for legal purposes and concerned with determining cause of death, examination or injuries due to crime and negligence. Death investigative systems: differs by political jurisdiction, medical examiner system: physician trained in pathology and forensic pathology, coroner system: investigators of unusual or suspicious deaths. Divided into primary and secondary causes: most recent condition, next oldest condition, oldest condition. Normally, 4 possible outcomes: homicide, suicide, accidental, natural. Rigor mortis: stiffening of the body after death, begins 2-6 hors after death. Livor mortis: (post-mortem lividity) settling of blood that is no longer circulating from gravity (purple), begins about 1 hour after death. Algor mortis: decrease in body temperature after death. Characteristics of autopsy: usually invasive/ destructive, time consuming, can be subjective, can lead to loss of evidence. ****you start forensic entomology investigation on a body after 48 hours.
