ANTHROP 3FA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Forensic Pathology, Forensic Anthropology, Blunt Trauma
14 Sep 2016
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Cause: the medical reason for death (e. g. heart failure, loss of blood, disease) The factors that bring about either a failed heart or the cessation of breathing. Manner: the way a person died; circumstances surrounding death (e. g. accident) Mode: the method by which death occurs (e. g. choking, strangulation) They"re job is to assist the coroner in determining the cause, manner and mode of death (the forensic anthropologist will not be the person to do this) Perimortem: natural decay, taphonomic processes that mimic pathology/trauma. Forensic pathologist is the authority in charge: describe soft tissue changes to vital organs. Heart, lungs, brain etc: what precipitated death. Angles of entry, direction and force of blows. Patterns and timing of events: antemortem vs post-mortem. Healed vs unhealed injuries: bony callus: is a swollen area of the bone indicative of healing and must have happened well before death. A fractured bone initially is broken causing blood vessels to break leading to a hematoma.
