CHARLENE JOY B.

QUINTOS
JD – 3
FORENSIC MEDICINE

1. When an unknown dead person is found, there are several ways to help identify the body based
on the available evidence that can be gathered from the corpse and the level of its
decomposition.

Using the presumptive method, if the face of the dead person can still be identified, it must be
photographed and be compared to the list of missing persons. Body marks such as scars,
birthmarks and tattoos are also notable and should be considered.

This is an initial way of identifying a dead body but such is not reliable. This must also be coupled
with other methods of identifying dead bodies such as a post mortem identification.

Post mortem identification is the responsibility of a medical examiner and includes the
following:

a. Fingerprinting

This is considered to be one of the most reliable method of identification because ridge
patterns on fingers can be classified in order to identify specific individuals. However, an
antemortem (before death) record of fingerprints must exist in order to establish the identity of
the deceased using their fingerprints. If the victim was fingerprinted before starting a job or if
they had been arrested, an antemortem record of their fingerprints would exist. An examiner
would then compare this antemortem record to the set of fingerprints taken from the corpse.
This latter set is referred to as a postmortem record.

b. Dental Records

Another method of identification is dental records. However, like fingerprints, some sort
of antemortem record must exist in order to make a comparison. Antemortem radiography of
the teeth is the most effective dental record-if these records exist, a positive identification can
be made. Bone structures of the jaw, roots of the teeth, and sinuses are all unique to an
individual, making information gathered from dental records very useful in forensic odontology.
Forensic odontology is a forensic science, which handles, examines, and presents dental
evidence in court. Dental evidence can be helpful in the identification of a person, but it can also
help assess their age and whether or not there were signs of violence.

c. DNA Records

DNA can also be used as a technique for positive identification. Each person’s DNA is
unique, except in the case of identical twins. Scientists first applied DNA to forensics in the
1980s. In order to establish identity using DNA, examiners should retain postmortem samples
such as blood, hair with root bulb, skin, and bone marrow for comparison to antemortem
samples. As mentioned before, postmortem samples are the samples collected by the medical
examiner and the antemortem samples are samples which were taken at some time before
death. These samples must contain mitochondrial DNA or nucleated cells to be of any value.
Antemortem samples can be a variety of things: hair from a hairbrush used only by the
individual, a lock of hair, or clothing with stains such as blood or sweat.
2. Death may be:
1. Brain Death — Death occurs when there is deep-'Irreversible coma, absence of electrical brain
activity and complete cessation of all the vital functions without possibility of resuscitation.

2. Cardio-Respiratory Death — Death occurs when there is a continuous and persistent cessation
of heart action and respiration. Cardio-respiratory death is a condition in which the physician
and the members of the family pronounced a person to be dead based on then common sense
or intuition
3. The signs of death are:

a. Cessation of the Heart Action and Circulation

There must be an entire and continuous cessation of the heart action and flow of blood in
the whole vascular system. A temporary suspension of the heart action is still compatible
with life. The length of time the heart may cease to function and life is still maintained
depends upon the length of time it is readily re-established and upon the oxygenation of
blood at the time of the suspension. As a general rule, if there is no heart action for a period
of five minutes death is regarded as certain.

b. Cessation of Respiration
Like heart action, cessation of respiration in order to be considered as a sign of death must
be continuous and persistent. A person can hold his breath for a period not longer than 3-
1/2 minutes. In case of electrical shock, respiration may cease for some time but may be
restored by continuous artificial respiration.

There are also cases of suspension of respiration without ensuing death, for example, divers,
swimmers, and newly born infants who for a while did not breathe immediately after birth.

c. Cooling of the Body or Algor Mortis

After death the metabolic process inside the body ceases. No more heat is produced but the
body loses slowly its temperature by evaporation or by conduction to the surrounding
atmosphere.

The progressive fall of the body temperature is one of the most prominent signs of death.
The rate of cooling of the body is not uniform. It is rapid during the first two hours after
death and as the temperature of the body gradually approaches the temperature of the
surroundings, the rate becomes slower. It is difficult to tell exactly the length of time the
body will assume the temperature of the surroundings. Several factors influence the rate of
fall of the body temperature.

d. Insensibility of the Body and Loss of the Power to Move

After death the whole body is insensible. No kind of stimulus is capable of letting the, body
have voluntary movement. This condition must be observed in conjunction with cessation of
heart beat and circulation and cessation of respiration.

e. Changes in the Skin

The skin may be observed to be-pale and waxy-looking due to the absence of circulation.
Areas of the skin especially the most dependent portions will develop livid discoloration on
account of the gravitation of blood.

There is also loss of the elasticity of the skin, opacity of the skin and application of heat will
not blister the skin or inflame the skin.
f. Changes in the Eyes
The cornea is not capable of making any reaction to whatever intensity of light stimulus. The
cornea is also cloudy. The eyeball sinks into the orbital fossa. Intra-orbital tension is low. The
pupil cannot react to light.

g. Action of Heat on the Skin

This test is useful to determine whether death occurred before or after the application of
heat. The heat is applied to a portion of the leg or arm. If death is real, only a dry blister is
produced. The epidermis is raised but on pricking the blister, no fluid is present. There is no
redness of the surrounding skin. In the living, the blister contains abundant serum and area
of vital reaction (congestion) on the skin around is present.