Tragic Pathology: An Analysis Of Forensic Processes

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

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

Mary Roach starts her research of human cadavers by going to a facial anatomy and face-lift refresher course. There, Roach learns that surgeons survive by modifying human remains. The author sees the distinct benefit of learning surgical methods using cadavers. Cadavers feel no agony and cannot die due to problems, cadavers offer immediate benefits for surgical study. Roach sees this as a great upgrade over how the surgery was once taught to live patients without the advantage of anesthesia.

Inside a morbid place was the living and the dead. The pathologist, a burly bearded bifocal wearing man, had scheduled cadaver 9252012 for autopsy that day. It was stored inside drawer F, one of twenty-one refrigerated cabinets. It is a grim place, the laboratory where these butcheries are conducted. Lingering in the air is the foul stench of death, the chemicals used to suppress the ghastly odor only intensifying it, rendering a fusion of ammonia, chlorine and rot. Positioned in the center of the room is a cadaver dissection table, a polished slab of steel surrounded by troughs to catch the oozing blood and bodily fluids that escape the corpses during the process. Detective Ron Burlingame of the Lake City, Florida Police Department, requested

This truth forms an essential link between the enforcement of law and protection of the public in the administration of justice.” Forensic pathology is clearly a crucial role in the justice system. You have to be a little weird and crazy to have a passion for the kind of work that the coroners and M.E. go through on an everyday basis. They use past knowledge to make decisions on how death occurred and they come across many different postmortem changes in dead bodies. Every field is important in forensics, but pathology advocates for truth and justice to dead

The purpose of this essay presented by Jessica Mitford is to inform people of procedures that are being done when embalming a corpse. She explains that most people pay a lot of money each year, and yet “not one in ten thousand has any idea of what actually takes place”, and the books related to this subject or any information are extremely hard to obtain. She adds, there must be a good reason why they keep these procedures secret and if people knew they would not want these procedures performed. Mitford states that traditional embalming in America took place at the home of the deceased, and most times a relative was present during such procedure. In present day this procedure is done by professionals and all others, but students, are not allowed by law in the preparation room.

Nonetheless, autopsies, when performed correctly, can be proven as useful to a criminal case. On April 12th, 2015, a man by the name of Freddie Gray died after receiving a brutal neck injury while under police custody. Many law enforcement figures did not think of Gray’s death as a homicide, but the autopsy proved otherwise. The MA suggested the death was due to, “a sharp deceleration of the police van.” (Freddie Gray autopsy likely to be hotly debated in criminal cases against officers par. 26). All charges were dropped for the officers involved in this case. What an autopsy revealed in this next gruesome case is shockingly disturbing. On November 2nd, 1990, two men spotted a dead baby laying in the community’s foliage. The autopsy of the

After collecting all of the evidence taking to the forensic lab and analysis the evidence that was collect. When a body come to the lab , the pathologist would” conduct a post-mortem”, examining the body and looking at its external appearance to help identification to determine how the person died, looking for evidence of blows to the body, looking at the size and shape of the wound. Then the pathologist would start a surgical procedures to study the internal organs, (like bruising of the brain, damage to the heart and blood vessels looking for evidence of disease as a cause of death, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, or infection. Checking the stomach content also if a person is murder or rape then pathologist would take samples under finger nails , sample of semen from vaginal”( Elvidge,

Analyzing different forensic pathologist daily journal, I found it really fascinated what exactly they are doing. Pathologist are the ones who tend to further expand a criminal investigation through all the multiple testing. They will run DNA test and bone test throughout the whole day. Most forensic pathologist have a system when it comes to figuring out the cause of death. Typically, the pathologist will look for evidence to indicate the cause of death like a cut womb. After they will start running DNA test. In some cases pathologists will test blood and tissue to identify the person. Furthermore, pathologists spend most of their time running test in lab. Also, pathologist are able to identify the amount of time a person has been dead. In

The CSI effect is the influence of crime dramas, and forensics related television shows on the public. Shows like CSI and NCIS depicts crimes that almost always produce an abundance of evidence that can be presented in court. Influence from these shows are leading jurors to demands evidence in real life cases. The CSI effect is concerning to the justice system because it places a greater burden on both the prosecution and forensic scientist. The CSI effects impacts not only jurors, but it also impacts public perception. The CSI effect as also causes the media to expect far more evidence than both the prosecution and forensic scientists can produce. The apprehension regarding the CSI effect in relation to the judicial system is a valid concern.

Should the case have legal implications relating to the cause of death, a forensic expert may be called upon to provide testimony in criminal and civil cases. Part of the expert witness testimony maybe by a forensic anthropologist who could delineate the length of the postmortem interval of when the human remains were discovered or determine cause and manner of death. Therefore, it is essential that the medicolegal death investigation follows established and approved procedures, so that the evidence will be admissible in court.

Determining the cause and manner of death is far most the vital duty to accomplish. Forensic pathologist is trained to perform autopsies to help find the presence of diseases, injuries, or poisoning. An autopsy is the examination of a body after its death. The forensic pathologist will examine the body internally and externally. Forensic pathologist may remove organs and stomach contents as sample collections to analyze. They analyze the head and brain too. They have to analyze the corpse’s medical history, evaluate witnesses’ statements, and collect medical and trace evidence from the body and crime scene (Explore Health Careers). Sometime forensic pathologist has to reconstruct the scene to understand how the person received their injuries. While only a few duties are listed, there are many in this

Dating back to 4000 BC, people have always been curious about the human body; even more so fascinated by the unknown and what lies beneath the surface. Until the 16th century, nobody took the study of anatomy seriously, and not long after, private anatomy schools were becoming more popular in England and Scotland. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, advances in medicine began to grow, as well as the instruction of proper dissection among human bodies for aspiring doctors. The main issue with this kind of teaching was that there was not enough material to provide for students legally. The bodies that would be used for teaching purposes slowly started to dwindle down, and the only available source to turn to were the gallows or the grave. The need for said bodies became increasingly important as well as the need for anatomical education. With the increasing need for cadavers also came a new profession: grave robbing.

For the next 50 years, donating one’s body for scientific cadaver use would become more acceptable and commonplace. However, it wasn’t until 1882 that a medical institution, the Chicago College of Physicians and Surgeons, would offer a curriculum that incorporated cadaver dissection (Perry & Kuehn, 2006). It wouldn’t be until 1918 that an organization, The Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois, would manage the body donation program for medical research and educational institutions (The Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois, 2013).

Several years ago, a young handsome scrawny caucasian man was involved in a terrible accident, in Westbourne, Massachusetts. After his accident he spent a lot of his time in his laboratory, he decided one bright sunny day that he wanted to become a scientist; Dr. M.James became more and more interested in dead bodies. One day he came up with the idea that he wanted to go and bring a dead corpse back to life. Dr. James ventured out in search of a dead body, he went to a nearby hospital and asked one of the doctors,