Outlines of medical jurisprudence for India / by J.D.B. Gribble and Patrick Hehir.

  • Gribble, J. D. B. (James Dunning Baker), -1906.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Outlines of medical jurisprudence for India / by J.D.B. Gribble and Patrick Hehir. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    101/576 (page 71)
    could scarcely be severed by a suicide, but there is neverthe- less one case on record in which a suicide divided all the muscles of the neck, the windpipe, and the gullet, had opened the jugular veins and both carotid* arteries, and had even grazed the anterior ligaments of the spine. (Taylor). 97. In cases of suicide, the direction of the wound is Direction of a generally from left to right—(with left-handed persons it will wmu1 be the reverse) : and from above downwards, if on the upper part of the body ; and from below upwards, if on the lower part of the body. A wound from below upwards, or, in the case of a right-handed person, from right to left, is presump- tive of homicide, but not proof thereof. A right-handed murderer standing opposite his victim would probably inflict wounds having a direction exactly contrary to that which they would have, if self-inflicted by a right-handed man. But if the murderer were standing behind his victim, it stands to reason that he could inflict a wound exactly similar in direc- tion to one the victim himself could cause.f As a general rule, it may be said that there is no wound which a suicide inflicts which could not be caused by a murderer, but there may be some wounds, such as those on the back of the body and those with an upward tendency, which, it is improbable, could be self-inflicted—improbable, but not, except in very rare cases, impossible. 98. It must be remembered that, in the case of suicide, Suicide intend the deceased may purposelv have committed the act under edt°9ailse J 1 1 snspicion or such circumstances as to cause suspicion of murder. In Eng- Murder, land this may be done in order that his family may get the benefit of an insurance policy, and in this country in order to throw snspicion upon a person with whom deceased was at enmity. Regarding this point, several interesting cases will be found at the end of the chapter. 99. The following points are of the greatest importance, Circumstances and should be carefully noted by those who conduct the first to l,e noted at , __, . ' the time of find * The carotid arteries are the large arteries of the neck. lng tho 1)'1-v- f We have heard of an exactly similar case occurring in the experience of a Medical Officer in the Madras Presidency.