Samples of any matter exuded from body
Prior or during the dissection, the pathologist may collect samples of bodily fluids to be sent to the microbiology lab to search for infection, medicine, street drugs, alcohols, and/or poisons.
Blood: Usually 20 ml of clean blood taken at start of autopsy from any main vein, but usually the jugular. Blood will be used in tests for: Alcohol, Blood type, Poisons, Glucose.
Urine: Obtained with a ladle or pipette through an incision in the bladder and then stored in a sterile container. Urine will be used in tests for alcohol and metallic poisons.
Cerebo-Spinal Fluid: Collected by lumbar puncture at start of autopsy. Easiest to take it with body sitting up, head slumped over. A needle is inserted between two vertebrae. Can also be taken by a needle directly into brain.
Stomach Contents: The stomach must be exposed, then carefully pulled out and held over another container. Scissors are used to open the stomach wall and the contents are examined. In suspected poisoning cases the whole stomach will be bagged up for further analysis.
Intestinal Contents: If necessary the whole small intestine will be removed for further analysis later.
Liver Vital in poisoning cases: After the pathologist has done his visual examination, the whole liver is bagged up for analysis by the toxicologist.
Vitreous Humour: The liquid behind the eye is extracted with a syringe. An equal amout of water is injected in, just for cosmetic reasons. This can be used to determine time of death.
Vaginal and rectal swabs to check for semen, and thus for sexual assault. This is always done, even if there is no reason to assume sexual assault.
Examination of the conjunctivae on eyes. Blood spots indicate asphyxia. Carbon monoxide poisoning makes it pink.
Topographical features
Close examination of the whole body looking for external signs of disease, wounds, needle marks etc. There is a pre-printed form which shows the human body, upon which the pathologist draws on position of all wounds, along with measurements. This is done both front and back.
- Head and face: eye shape and colour, nose shape, hair colour, mouth, teeth, ears, shape of skull, scars and birth marks.
- Trunk: Shape, clothing - size, make etc, tattoos, scars, circumcision.
- Limbs: Size, shape, scars, callouses that could indicate occupation, tattoos etc,
Pathological information
All revealed by autopsy. Reveals evidence of past medical treatment that would show up on medical records.
- Current medical conditions. Gall stones, fibroids etc ...
- Past surgical treatment - scars, absence of organs etc
- Evidence of past accidents - scars, mended fractures etc
- Changes that may indicate age - arthritis, cardiovascular disease etc
Pathological conditions - malaria, sickle cell anaemia etc
Special procedures
- X-rays of bones. This may show up things like repeated healed fractures - may be evidence of child abuse, for example
- Special study of tissues
- Photography - such as superimposing a photo of the person the remains are suspected to belong to over the remains and seeing if they look like a match.
- Forensic odontology (dentistry) - This is vital. In badly decayed bodies, teeth are the only method of identification. This is because:
They are the part of the body that lasts longest after death. False teeth and other repairs are very resistant to degradation
Each set of teeth is essentially unique
X-rays can reveal even more information on the structure of the teeth and jaws.
The forensic dentist studies number of teeth, false teeth (that have name stamped on the bottom), cavities and fillings, spacing, and evidence that suggests a certain job - eg musicians who play wind instruments.
Age can be worked out below the age of around 25. Gender can't be, unless there is also some of the dental pulp (only for about 5 months after death). Race can be estimated as each main racial group has certain characteristics.
However, the only way full identification is possible is if the records can be compared with records made before death.
- Forensic anthropology
These experts study bones and can tell us :
- if they belong to a human
- gender
- age at death
- appearance - stature, bone structure, something of their facial features. This can done through facial Reconstruction, where modelling (clay or computer) is used to add tissue and literally flesh out the skull.
- how long the bones have been there
- cause of death
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