Nile Valley Forensics

In this paper, I will discuss the background of forensic pathology, the pros and cons of forensic pathology, and the similar and different in a forensic pathologist and a coroner. There are various disciplines in Forensic Science that can help with a crime, and solving that crime. One of these various disciplines is Forensic Pathology which the study of disease, and its causes, moreover; it involves the discovering the cause of the death where a death is sudden or suspicion to law enforcement. While a Forensic Pathologist can be helpful to law enforcement, and helpful in assisting in crime investigation, there are cons to being forensic pathologist. Furthermore, forensic pathologist can be confused with coroner even though they do the same

This method may have been sufficient in the 10th century when people were illiterate and believed the world was flat; however, the scientific world since then has grown exponentially. Science is a powerful study, aiding us in understanding the complex process life and the absence of life, death. Pathology, the science of disease, has assisted in the arrests of countless criminals, uncovering the truth and more notably providing a sense of closure for the loved ones of the deceased. A coroner system without the foundation of science is a system that keeps murders on the streets, the innocent behinds bars and prosecutors frozen in cases. The most memorable example of inefficiency is Dr. Paul McGarry, who made careless errors in not just one but four autopsies. In the case of new prison inmate Cayne Miceli, McGarry initially determined the cause of death to be a drug overdose. Upon the further examination, a second examiner found a heap of mucus in her lungs indicating she had severe asthma. The doctor then concluded the real cause of death was the jail restraints on her chest blocked her airways during an asthma attack (Thompson, 2011, para 13-16). A peculiar fact about the case was the McGarry concluded the cause of death before he got the test results. Could he had been trying to hide something? After all, he is an elected official which according to the NAS

The field of forensic anthropology is relatively young, with roots in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Its popularity continues to grow today, with TV shows like “Bones” and novels like “Coroner at Large.” The work of a forensic anthropologist is important in a historical and medicolegal context. Without the study of bones and death, lots of history would be lost forever, and murders would go unsolved.

The book gives a general overview of the field of forensic science. The sections of the book include “The Scene of the Crime; Working the Scene--The Evidence; Working the Scene of the Body Human;

A thirst for knowledge can lead to many great achievements in life and provide a tremendous understanding of a subject that was unfamiliar or ambiguous to most people, which benefits society. The more that people understand and study a subject, the subject becomes more simple and straightforward. When people strive for information, people are now able to stop and keep atrocious behaviors at bay. In the non-fiction book, “The Killer of Little Shepard,” written by Douglas Star is an engaging book about the development of forensic science that lead to the birth of modern forensics. The author gives great details on how the formation towards modern forensics while telling the story of a serial killer- Joseph Vacher- in late 19th century France;

Forensic science has come a long way from where it was less than 100 years ago. It has only been relatively recently that the advancement of technology we use, has occurred. The Body Farm, an institute in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a place where dead corpses are left to rot and then studied on how the body decays in different circumstances. Death’s Acre: Inside the Legendary Body Farm tells about the farm from Dr. Bill Bass’ point of view, from the establishment of the farm, to the impact in the world of forensic science the farm has caused. David Pitt and Alynda Wheat offers their insight into the book in their reviews. The Body Farm has been a monumental stepping stone to the advancement of modern day forensic sciences. Dr. Bill Bass, is making

When a person dies, the natural forces of decomposition cause for the soft tissue to breakdown and ultimately disappear over time. If enough time has gone by, any soft tissue evidence present at the time of death will also have disappeared. Once this has occurred, it is up to forensic anthropologists to analyze the skeletal remains for evidence of trauma in order to help the forensic pathologist assign a cause and manner of death to this individual. The task is complicated by the similarities between antemortem and perimortem injuries, the presence of skeletal anomalies, as well as the postmortem changes that can occur when skeletal remains are exposed to the elements of nature.

Coming from the Greek word “autopsia” the word autopsy means, “to see with one’s own eyes.” In an autopsy, the body is analyzed, both internally and externally, to determine the cause and manner of that person’s death by identifying any diseases, wounds, or abnormalities found throughout the body (Stöppler, np). Medical examiners must consider the medical history of the deceased as well as analyze toxicology reports from blood and urine samples taken during the autopsy process (“Forensic Pathology Career & Salary Outlook,” np). Disease progression as well as the effectiveness of any treatments given can also be determined from an autopsy. Provided that this knowledge can be obtained, autopsies are considered to be a part of the field of pathology, or the study of the cause and effects of disease. This information on diseases can be particularly beneficial for research purposes as well as informative to families about illnesses that may be genetic (Stöppler, np). Upon completing the examination, a report is filed stating whether the findings suggested suicidal, homicidal, accidental, or natural causes of death and also covering the basic findings of the case. Finally, a death certificate must be prepared for the physician of the deceased to sign (“Medical Examiner,”

We find that the “oldest written sources of western medicine are The Hippocratic writings from the 5th and 4th centuries BC; which covers all aspects of medicine at that time and contain numerous medical terms.”(Wulff) This was the beginning of the Greek era of the language of medicine, which lasted even after the Roman

Dating back to 3000 BCE the invention of writing began in Egypt. This invention marked Egypt as the beginning of medicine due to their ability to record their findings and knowledge. While Egyptians thought gods demons and spirits played a key role in causing diseases they provide us the first look of the art of healing that we have come to call medical care. Most of the knowledge we know about medicine is all thanks to the numerous papyruses found in archaeological searches. One papyrus that impacted the medical field is the Edwin Smith papyrus, which dates back to as early as 3000 BC. Imhotep, a physician to King Djoser, lived in about 2600 BC and thought of as the father of medicine. It is believed that Imhotep was the author of the Edwin

The idea of using the science has been started before the debuting of Sherlock Holmes in 1887, who had introduced about the forensic science to help criminal investigation. In history, the work of forensic scientists was performed by medical personnel. Until the end of eighteenth century, the attempts of French medical jurist Antoine Louis, crime solving Chinese book “ Hsi Duan Yu”(the washing way of wrongs), etc gave ideas about determining time of death, analyzing blood stain, identifying chemical used in crime, etc. After eighteenth century, the modern chemistry paved new way of identifying crime like the idea of measuring height, length of right ear and outstretched

“Forensic science has become in the early 21st century what the space race was in the 1960s- an accessible and inspiring (Gaensslen) into the world of science” (Gaensslen ix). This may be true but forensic has not always existed forever. Many people began hearing about forensic science during the 1990s when many of crime shows became popular. In actuality forensic science goes as far back as ancient China. Sculptors used fingerprints to identify their artwork from that of others. This may not be what forensics has evolved into but it had to begin somewhere. The first text reference of forensics first showed up in Hsi Duan Yu, which was published in about 700 CE (Hunter 18). It noted that many bodies have various characteristics that make them different. Many of the early forensic advances took place in the 1700 and 1800s. In 1784 the physical matching of evidence began. It was first used in the case of John Toms to link him and a piece of pistol wadding to a murder (Lotter). From then on forensics began to grow exponentially. “A major landmark in forensic science, the discovery that

As a future medicolegal death investigator, I see the potential this field holds. Its importance and worth are not broadcasted and at times not realized. Personally, the way to shape the path this field takes would be to inculcate in me a strong sense of ethics, that will hopefully inspire my colleagues and successors to do the same, as this is something that cannot be regulated by anyone.

The word autopsy derives from the Greek word autopsia, which means “the act of seeing for oneself” (Autopsy 1). An autopsy purpose is to “determine the cause of death, observe the effects of disease” (Autopsy 1). Human dissection was frowned upon until after the Middle Ages. The first human dissection was performed in 300 BCE by Herophilus and Erasistratus, two physicians who were studying disease (Autopsy 2). In the late 2nd century CE a Greek physician Galen of Pergamum was the first

This combination of things supports the Theory of Transfer: "When two objects meet, some evidence of that meeting can later be found and verified. Forensics definitely didn't start with all of the technology and things we have now. In fact, only very few significant advances occurred in the years prior to 1800. In 1248, a book, “Hsi DuanYu" (the Washing Away of Wrongs) published by the Chinese, described how to distinguish drowning from strangulation. It was the first recorded application of medical knowledge to the solution of crime. Then in 1784, one of the first documented uses of physical matching saw an Englishman convicted of murder based on the torn edge of a wad of newspaper in a pistol that matched a piece remaining in his pocket. In the 1800’s everyone got to watch as forensics grew substantially. There was the first recorded use of questioned document analysis. The development of tests for the presence of blood in a forensic context. A bullet comparison used to catch a murderer. The first use of toxicology (arsenic detection) in a jury trial. The development of the first crystal test for hemoglobin using hemin crystals. The development of a presumptive test for blood. The first use of photography for the identification of criminals and documentation of evidence and crime scenes. The first recorded use of fingerprints to solve a crime. The development of