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When skeletalized remains are found, whether complete or incomplete, their examination should proceed in a scientific stepwise fashion, the purpose of which is to address a number of key points: Are the remains human? What are the sex, race, stature, and the age at the time of death? Are there any distinguishing characteristics either of an anatomic anomaly or pathology. Is there evidence of a cause of death? In this first article we will first review the fundamentals of human skeletal anatomy.
Bleeding into the subarachnoid space is most commonly the result of trauma. It can be either as a thin-layered diffuse hemorrhage over the cerebral or cerebrellar hemispheres, assume a patchy distribution or present as a space occupying mass of blood referred to as a hematoma. In this article we will discuss the various causes of traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and their pathophysiology.
The process of postmortem decomposition can be divided into five stages: Fresh (autolysis), putrefaction, black putrefaction, butyric fermentation and dry decay. The first stage begins within minutes of death and last typically up to 36 to 72 hours before the beginning of putrefaction. The length of the first stage, as is true of the entire decomposition process, is primarily determined by environmental temperature. The first stage was discussed in the previous article entitled “Early Postmortem Decomposition.” In this article we will discuss putrefaction, black putrefaction, butyric fermentation and dry decay.
Forensic Medicine with Dr. Cox 