Exam Preparatory Manual for Undergraduates: Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

306 Pages·2015·20.526 MB·English

by  V Dekal

Exam Preparatory Manual for
Undergraduates
Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
(Theory and Practical)

Exam Preparatory Manual for
Undergraduates
Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
(Theory and Practical)
(In accordance with syllabus prescribed by MCI)
V Dekal
MD PGDMLE PhD (Criminology)
Associate Professor
Saveetha Medical College
Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Exam Preparatory Manual for Undergraduates: Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Theory and Practical)
First Edition: 2015
ISBN 978-93-5152-620-9
Printed at
Preface
Writing a book on forensic medicine is my lifetime ambition. The basic aim of taking up this subject is
to bring a reasonable standard of uniform medicolegal services throughout the country, a good ethical
practice of medicine and also to bring life to the outdated term “Medical Etiquette”.
Working on this project of writing a book was a slow and studious process, and I started doing it very
soon after I completed my postgraduation. I also wanted to be sure that my book should not be just an
addition in the series of books in forensic medicine. I wanted to come out with a book which is student
friendly, short, precise, covers all the aspects of the subject, theory and practical and to help the students to
face the examinations with confidence and also learn the basic skills, thus able to apply them throughout
their lifetime. All my dreams came true when M/s Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd joined hands
with me and gave me the opportunity to write this excellent student-friendly textbook.
Only doctors who possess the basic degree of MBBS are called medical experts in the court of law, so
allopathic physicians apart from the basic duty of curing patients of their ailments have yet another
important responsibility, which is to fight for social justice by enlightening the court by the truth based on
strong scientific proof. To be frank, only by the knowledge of this subject of forensic medicine and, of course,
pathology, emergency medicine and surgery, we, the allopathic physicians, stand distinct in the huge crowd
of doctors, but only a very few of us recognize this fact.
Even though plenty of forensic medicine experts are available in the country, yet nearly 90% of the
medicolegal workload of the country is still being carried out by the doctors who do not possess a
postgraduate degree in forensic medicine. Ultimately, they have to depend upon the knowledge gained by
them in the 2nd year of their MBBS course.
This book is entitled Exam Preparatory Manual for Undergraduates: Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
(Theory and Practical) and is prepared in accordance with the syllabus prescribed by the Medical Council of
India (MCI). All the chapters in this book are carefully written for easy understanding. All the chapters are
presented in question-and-answer format, to help the students understand how the questions would be
asked in examinations and what they are expected to write as answer for each question.
Even though the book is in a question-and-answer format, it carries all the points which a standard
textbook is expected to contain. Questions are in the form of topics/headings and answers in the
form of explanations; thus, students can study only this book, which would be more than enough for
the undergraduate medical students and they would be rewarded back with excellent marks in their
examinations.
For the welfare of the students, the important set of practical exercises are also discussed; thus, the
students can also prepare well for their practical examinations. This book will serve all the needs of the
students for theory, practical and viva-voce examinations.
Apart from the medical students, this book will also be useful for the investigation team, judiciary and
other branches of students who need to have knowledge of forensic medicine such as the students of
criminology, criminal justice and forensic science.
V Dekal

Acknowledgments
Apart from the senior professors, who enlightened me with knowledge, I would like to acknowledge people
who are close to me and supported me at every stage of preparation of this book and made it into reality.
• Dr Ananda K, Professor and Head, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka,
India.
•  Dr K Thangaraj, Professor and Head, SRM Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
•  Dr P Sampath Kumar, Professor and Head, Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
•  Dr B Santha Kumar, Dean, Government Madurai Medical College, Madurai (Formerly Director of 
Forensic Medicine, Tamil Nadu, India).
•  Dr N Srinivasa Raghuavan, Professor and Head, Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
•  Dr Karpagam Dekal, Medical Officer, Corporation of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
•  Dr Jagannatha SR, Associate Professor, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 
India.
•  Dr J Magendran, Assistant Professor, Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Contents
Section I: Medical Jurisprudence 1
Chapter 1 Introduction and Scope of Forensic Medicine 3
Chapter 2 The Indian Legal System 5
Chapter 3 Medical Ethics and the Law 13
Chapter 4 Medical Negligence 20
Section II: Personal Identity 27
Chapter 5 Identification 29
Section III: Forensic Pathology 47
Chapter 6 Medicolegal Autopsy 49
Chapter 7 Thanatology (Study of Death) 56
Chapter 8 Postmortem Changes 62
Chapter 9 Violent Asphyxial Deaths 74
Chapter 10 Death due to Starvation 91
Section IV: Forensic Traumatology 93
Chapter 11 Injuries and their Medicolegal Considerations 95
Chapter 12 Regional Injuries 112
Chapter 13 Forensic Ballistics 120
Chapter 14 Thermal Injuries 127
Chapter 15 Electrical and Lightning Injuries 135
Section V: Sexual Jurisprudence 139
Chapter 16 Virginity 141
Chapter 17 Impotence, Sterility and Artificial Insemination 145
Chapter 18 Pregnancy and Delivery 149
Chapter 19 Abortion and MTP Act 1971 154
Chapter 20 Infant Deaths 159
Chapter 21 Sexual Offences and Paraphilias 165
Section VI: Forensic Psychiatry 171
Chapter 22 Psychiatry and Mental Health Act 1987 173
x Exam Preparatory Manual for Undergraduates: Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
Section VII: Medical Toxicology 183
Chapter 23 General Considerations 185
Chapter 24 Agricultural Poisons 192
Chapter 25 Corrosive Poisons 195
Chapter 26 Metallic and Inorganic Irritants 201
Chapter 27 Organic Irritant Poisons 212
Chapter 28 Neurotoxic Poisons 222
Chapter 29 Cardiac Poisons 237
Chapter 30 Asphyxiants 240
Chapter 31 Miscellaneous Poisons 245
Section VIII: Practical 249
Exercise 1 Age Estimation by Dentition 251
Exercise 2 Age Estimation by Radiology 254
Exercise 3 Skeletal Remains 260
Exercise 4 Wound Certificate 266
Exercise 5 Drunkenness Certificate 269
Exercise 6 Sexual Offence Certification—Victim 271
Exercise 7 Examination of Accused of Sexual Offence 274
Exercise 8 Fetal Examination 275
Exercise 9 Leave and Fitness Certificate 276
Exercise 10 Death Certificate 277
Exercise 11 Postmortem Certificate 279
Exercise 12 Spotters 282
Index 285