LECTURE NOTES OF FORENSIC

SCIENCE SEMESTER-V
B.SC,LL.B (HONS.)

By: Ms. Heena Goswami

Assistant Professor of Science &
Technology
E-mail: hgoswami@gnlu.ac.in

Death and other changes

Death

Legal definition: Blacks law dictionary

means
termination of life or end of existence

Australian law:
permanent termination of circulation in the
body of person or permanent termination of
all functions of brain

Physicians conception of death is:

total stoppage of circulation with consequent ending
of once vital functions
Artificial respiration
Reestablishment of natural respiration or circulation
May not return
If artificial respiration removed, whether the doctor
involved in such act can be punished under the
offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder
or at least if he by such step make himself liable for
causing death of the patient by rash and negligent
act.

Concept of death

Concept of Brain death.

Living cadavers.
Declaration of death and moment of
death is very important legally.

Medico legal definition of

Death

Death is permanent and irreversible

termination of functions of the three
interlinked vital systems of the body
Nervous system
Circulatory system
Respiratory system

( Tripod of life)

Ordinary circumstances

Wait for 10-15 mins if any of these

systems starts functioning.
Because under no circumstance brain
cells can maintain molecular life for
more than 10-15mins if they do not get
oxygen supply.
Moment of death is equally important
with
the
progress
in
tissue
transplantation science.

Type of deaths

Somatic death
Termination of tripod system
Molecular death
Due to lack of oxygen supply, individual
cell or different tissues or organ die. This
death of individual cell in known as
cellular or molecular death.

Brain death three types

Cortical death
Brain-stream death
Both Cortical and Brain-stream death

Tests for confirmation of brain-stem

death
In coma for more than 6hrs or 24 hrs if
cardiac arrest is the cause
No abnormal decorticate or decerebrate
postures should be present

No spontaneous respiration
No epileptic movements
All brain stem reflexes
Should be absent

Diagnosis of brain-stem
death

Establishment of positive diagnosis of

coma and its causes
irremediable, structural damage of
brain
Trying to remedy it and failing
Correction low blood pressure
Correction-Hypoxia
Removal of blood clot

Brain- stem reflexes

Pupillary reflext Optic

<- Occulomotor
Vestibulo-reflex occular -> Auditory
<- Abducent
Corneal reflex -> Trigeminal
<- Facial
Gag reflex -> Glossopharyngeal
<- Vagus
Dolls eye reflex - > Auditory
<- Abducent

Brain stem death shall not be considered

in :

Absence of coma
Child below 5 yrs of age
Coma due to drugs, hypothermia,
metabolic disorders and shock

Transplantation of organs
like:

Liver within 15 minutes

Kidney 30-40 minutes

Heart 1 hour

Other types of death

Natural death

Sudden death

Natural death

Natural diseases
Pathological conditions
Old age
Debility

Sudden Death

Sudden deaths are those which are not

preceded or are of only preceded for a
short time of or with morbid symptoms.

Medico legally
They raise a suspicion of foul play.

Causes of Sudden death

Unnatural
Violence
Poisoning
Combination of both

Cardiovascular

Coronary disease
Congenital heart diseases
Valvular heart diseases
Hypertensive heart diseases
Infection
Cardiac tamponade

Respiratory

Pulmonary embolism
Haemoptysis
Infections
Chronic asthmatics
Anaphylaxis
Obstruction to air passage

C.N.S.

Intra cerebral haemorrhage

Sub arachnoid haemorrhage
Cerebral thrombosis
Embolism
Infections
Tumor of brain

Abdominal

Haemorrhage in the G.I. tract

Rupture of abdominal aneurysm
Liver diseases
Acute pancreatic bleeding

Miscellaneous

Bacteriaemic shock
Shock due to fear or emotion
Malaria
Special causes in children
Cot death or SIDS
Congenital mental abnormalities
Concealed puncture wound.

Endocrinal
Adrenal haemorrhage
Diabetic coma
Myxoedemic and parathyroid crisis
Iatrogenic
Abuse of drugs
Sudden withdrawal of steroids
Anesthesia
Mismatched blood transfusion.

Suspended Animation

The condition where the person may

appear to be dead due to the fact that
the vital functions are at such a low level
as to be minimum compatible with life,
The Suspended Animation
Apparent death
As a voluntary Act ( Death Trance)
Hypothermia, Drowning, new born, elect
shock etc.

Modes of death
Manners of death
Mechanism of death
Cause of death

Modes of death

Abnormal physiological state, that

existed at the time of death
Coma
Syncope
Asphyxia
Depending upon the involvement of the
system and irrespective of the remote
cause of death.

Coma Death
Failure of functions brain
Due to paralysis of the vital centers
Compression of brain due to diseases
Injuries to brain
Poisoning to brain-opium, alcohol etc
Metabolic disorders- Uraemia

 Death due to syncope

Failure of the function of the heart

Anaemia of the brain
Due to heart disease
Exhausting diseases
Poisons- Digitalis, tobacco, aconite etc.

 death due to Asphyxia

Failure of the function of lungs

Pathological conditions- Pneumonia
Poisoning- Opium
Irrespirable gases co, co2 etc.
Traumatic Asphyxia- Stampade
Mechanical interference prevention of air
entry to respiratory track

 Anoxia

Anoxic Anoxia
Mechanical Interference to the passage of
air
Closure of the external respiratory orifices
Eg. Smothering
Closure of the air passages by external
pressure on the neck
Eg. Hanging, Strangulation
Closure by impaction of foreign body
closure by fluid- Drowning.

Prevention of normal movements of the

chest
Pressure on the chest- stampade, fall of
mason etc
Injury to chest wall- penetrating injuries
Poisoning- strychnine
Electric shock due to bulbar palsy
Vitiated atmosphere.

The Manner of Death

It is a design or fashion in which the

cause of death came into being
If death occurs from some disease, the
manner of death is ; Natural
If death occurs due to violence the
manner will be unnatural or violent
death, may be accidental, suicidal or
homicidal, it depends on circumstances
of the episode.