The Technique of Post-Mortem Examination (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: EXAMINATION OF THE BODY. The body is placed upon the table in the supine position; all clothing, including the stockings, is to be removed; the table. if movable, is placed in the most favorable light; whatever instruments are considered necessary are placed in order upon a suitable tray or board; pails, basins and pitchers with warm and cold water are at hand; in short everything is placed in order after the manner of the well-arranged surgical operation. Under all circumstances the examination of the exterior of the body is always and invariably the first in order. INSPECTION. In a general way inspection determines the stature, the sex, the color, the height, the approximate age, the development, the degree of general nutrition, and the other usual characteristics of the body. Whenever possible the exact weight of the body should be established. In order to determine the exact shade of color in the skin the body must be thoroughly clean; otherwise there is great danger of not recognizing or of confounding with each other the various forms of accidental or morbid cutaneous discoloration. The state of the general nourishment is well shown by the fullness and roundness of form and by the degree of muscular thickness and prominence. The thickness,the tension and the elasticity of the skin are determined by raising it into folds. Inspection takes particular notice of the signs of death, decomposition, and external pathologic or traumatic changes. The degree of rigor mortis present is determined; it must be remembered that cadaveric rigidity is first to show itself about the muscles of the lower jaw, from which it gradually extends downward;-it disappears in the same sequence. The livores mortis, or post-mortem lividity, are of normal post-mortem occurrence; they are reddi...