8 THE METHOD OF MAKING POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. 



evident than during life, and may be rendered more decided by the posi- 

 tion of the head and the freezing of the body. They usually persist 

 until the skin putrefies. 



Wounds. We should notice the situation, extent, and direction of a 

 wound, the condition of its edges and the surrounding tissues. If it be 

 a deep, penetrating wound, its course and extent should be ascertained by 

 careful dissection rather than by the use of a probe. 



If the edges of a wound be inflamed and suppurating, or commencing 

 to cicatrize, it must have been inflicted some time before death. In a 

 wound inflicted a short time before death, the edges are usually everted ; 

 there may be more or less extravasation of blood into the surrounding 

 tissues, and the vessels contain coagula; but sometimes none of these 

 changes are observed. The chief characteristics of a wound inflicted 

 after death are absence of a considerable amount of bleeding, non-re- 

 traction of the edges, and the absence of extravasation of blood into the 

 tissues. But a wound inflicted within two hours after death may resem. 

 ble very closely one received during life. In general, unless a wound is 

 old enough for its edges to present inflammatory changes, we must be 

 very careful in asserting its ante-mortem or post-mortem character. 



Fractures. It may be important to determine whether a bone was 

 fractured before or after death. This point cannot always be decided. 

 Fractures inflicted during life are, as a rule, attended with more extrava- 

 sation of blood and evidences of reaction in the surrounding tissues ; but 

 fractures produced within a few hours after death may resemble these 

 very closely. Usually a greater degree of force is necessary to fracture 

 bones in the dead than in the living body. 



Scars and Tattoo Marks. The presence and character of cicatrices 

 should be noticed. Scars produced by any considerable loss of substance 

 may become very much smaller and less conspicuous, but never entirely 

 disappear. Slight and superficial wounds, however, leave marks which 

 may not be permanent. The discoloration produced by tattooing may, 

 although it rarely does, disappear during life. 



Internal Examination. 1 



After completing the external inspection of the body, we commence 

 the internal examination. In order that this examination may be made 

 both thoroughly and rapidly, we should follow a regular method. The 

 method should be such as will enable us to examine the relations of parts 

 to one another, without seriously disturbing them, and to remove and 

 inspect the organs in such an order and manner as will not interfere with 

 the examination of parts which are to follow. In certain cases it may 

 be necessary to depart from the regular method; but, as a rule, the 

 following plan will be found most advantageous. 



1 Absolute and relative sizes and weights of various parts and organs of the body, 

 and much other valuable statistical data, may be found in Vierordt's " Anatomische' 

 Physiologische und Physikalische Daten und Tabellen." 



