FORENSIC MEDICINE

XENIA R SAN GASPAR RN, ICN,DNE, MAN

Police Lieutenant
 DEFINITION:
Legal medicine is the branch of medicine which deals
with the application of medical knowledge to the
purposes of law and the administration of justice
Forensic medicine is the practice of medicine to
elucidate legal matters. Its primary purpose is to
bring forth the power of medical knowledge to
identify crimes, victims and perpetrators, and settle
disputes, when and where personal identity, time of
death or injury, and the identification and duration of
morbidity become an important matter.
SCOPE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE

.Anatomic Pathology
. Clinical Pathology
. Anthropology
. Biochemistry
. Molecular Biology
. Psychiatry
 HISTORY

. Imhotep (2980 B.C.)- earliest recorded medico-legal

expert
. Antistius- conducted autopsy on Julius Caesar ( 100-44
B.C.) who was murdered
. Paulus Zacchias (1584-1659) regarded as the Father of
Forensic Medicine”.
. In 1895, a medico-legal laboratory was established in
Manila
. The PNP Crime Laboratory traces its origin from the
creation of a fingerprint section in May 19, 1945 until its
gradual expansion to become PC Central Crime
Laboratory, PCCL, PC/INP CLS, and eventually PNP
Crime Lab
MISSION OF MEDICO-LEGAL DIVISION

To provide Medico-legal assistance to PNP

investigators as well as to other
government and non-government
investigative agencies through the
conduct of autopsy, physical
examination and other forensic
laboratory examinations.
 FUNCTIONS

. Perform autopsy to determine the cause, manner,

mechanism, and time of death.
 . Perform examination on human skeletal remains
to determine the sex, age, race, and body
 Body built in order to establish the identity and to
determine the cause of death.
 . Conduct exhumation of human remains.
 . Perform physical examination on victims of
physical injuries.
 . Perform genital and extra-genital examinations
on victims of sexual abuse.
 . Perform physical examination on suspects prior
to detention or release.
 . Perform forensic odontology examinations.
 . Perform serological and microbiological
examinations.
 . Conduct DNA analysis and paternity
determination.
.4. Time of death – as revealed by the condition of the
body and other evidences recovered.
Autopsy can elucidate
 Homicide
 Infanticide
. Parricide
. Murder
. Suicide
 Accident
. Natural cause
 THE AUTOPSY

To determine:
1. Cause – Injury or disease without which death
would not follow.
2. Mechanism – the physiologic derangement or
sequence events in the death process.
3. Manner- whether natural or traumatic,
accidental or advertent, homicidal or suicidal.
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS OF DEATH

Death is the termination of life. It is the

complete cessation of all the vital
functions without the possibility of
resuscitation. It is an irreversible loss of
the properties of living matter.
REFERENCE:
National Forensic Science Training Institute