Forensic medicine and toxicology / by J. Dixon Mann.

  • Mann, J. Dixon (John Dixon), 1840-1912.
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Forensic medicine and toxicology / by J. Dixon Mann. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    which they are made subservient to forensic practice, he would in- evitably overlook those features of a case which, correctly interpreted, yield the required information. A many-sided subject like forensic medicine has this disadvantage : it has no real starting-point. At whatever point the wiiter begins, he is conscious of assuming the possession of knowledge on the part of the reader which has not yet been imparted, and further, the sequence of subjects is determined by convenience rather than by evolution, many of them being simply grouped together without inter-relation. It is customary to commence with a description of the modes of procedure in the courts of law, and of the duties, and the obligations of medical witnesses; this, in most respects the most convenient plan, will now be adopted, and, following the usual mode of procedure in criminal cases, the first court to claim attention is— THE COEOMTEB'S COURT. The ofl&ce of Coroner has existed from very early times. Formerly it was of much dignity and importance, and entailed the fulfilment of many duties now in abeyance. At the present time, the chief duties of the coroner are to inquire into the cause of death in those cases in which there is reason for doubting that death resulted from natural causes. In the ordinary covirse of events, when death occurs from natural causes and under ordinary conditions^ the medical attendant certifies as to the cause of death ; this he is bound to do under a penalty of forty shilhngs. Such a certificate signed by a duly qualified and registered medical practitioner, together with oral evidence given by a person present at the time of death, is accepted by the registrar of deaths, who issues a certificate authorising the interment of the deceased. If, however, after any interval of time, death results directly, or indirectly, from an accident, or occurs not long after an accident, even though there be no apparent causal relation; or if the medical attendant has reason to doubt whether death did, or did not, take place from natural causes; or if death be attended by any suspicious circumstances ; or if those in charge of the deceased were guilty of culpable neglect, or cruelty; or if the cause of death be unknown— under all such circumstances the medical attendant should not certify, but should refer tlie case to the coroner. A heavy responsibility thus devolves on the medical practitioner: on the one hand he is bound under a penalty to certify to the cause of death ; and on the other hand if he certifies he renders himself liable—under certain contingencies—to censure, and possibly to legal proceedings. There