Introduction to veterinary and comparative forensic medicine

Introduction to veterinary and comparative forensic medicine is ground-breaking book in an emerging new spciality. It reflects the increasing demand for expert opinion by veterinarians and others in courts of law and elsewhere on such matters as: wildlife conservation, welfare of, and alleged cruelty to, animals, insurance, certification and malpractice, the indentification of live and dead species or their derivatives. It also discusses and analyses current concern over possible links between domestic violence and abuse of animals. Throughout the book the emphasis is on the need for a systematic and thorough approach to forensic work. A particular feature is practical advice, with protocols on dealing with common problems, together with case studies, various appendices and an extensive bibliography. A vital reference for members of the veterinary profession, lawyers, enforcement bodies and welfare and conservation organisations. The comparative aspects provide an important source of information for those working in human forensic medicine and the biological sciences (AU)

Medical-legal aspects of injury

The individual who sustains an injury usually presents first to the physician. Usually, but not always! The patient sometimes presents initially to a lawyer. In the Caribbean we are seeing an increase in the number of patients who are pursuing litigation for settlement of damages resulting from injuries. It is important for physicians to be aware of the interactions and nuances which are present at the interface of the medical and legal disciplines. Injuries with legal ramifications fall into four major categories: motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), workplace accidents, criminal disputes, and civil disputes(AU)

Population data on the thirteen CODIS core short tandem repeat loci in African Americans, U.S. Caucasians, Hispanics, Bahamians, Jamaicans, and Trinidadians

Allele distributions for 13 tetrameric short tandem repeat (STR) loci, CSF1PO, FGA, TH01, TPOX, VWA, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, and D21S11, were determined in African-American, United States Caucasian, Hispanic, Bahamian, Jamaican, and Trinidadian sample populations. There was little evidence for departure from Hardy-Weinberg expectations (HWE) in any of the populations. Based on the exact test, the loci that departed significantly from HWE are: D21S11 (p=0.010, Bahamians); CSF1PO (p=0.014, Trinidadians); TPOX (p=0.011, Jamaicans and p= 0.035, U.S. Caucasians); and D16S539 (p=0.043, Bahamians). After employing the Bonferroni correction for the number of loci analyzed (i.e., 13 loci per database), these observations are not likely to be significant. There is little evidence for association of alleles between the loci in these databases. The allelic frequency data are similar to other comparable data within the same major population group. (AU)

Forensic analysis of acute fatal poisonings in the southern districts of Trinidad

A prospective autopsy study was undertaken at General Hospital in San Fernando, Trinidad, to analyze deaths that occurred form poisoning during 1996 and 1997. During that period 105 deaths occurred from acute poisoning. The major poisons used were: paraquat (80 cases), organophosphate/carbamate insecticides (10 cases), and anti-psychotic drugs (6 cases). Much less frequently, battery acid, ETHREL [Ethephon; (2-chlorethyl) phosphonic acid], phenols, ethanol, kerosene and flavine were the agents of choice. Suicide accounted for 99 (94.29 percent) deaths. Of these, 44.44 percent occurred in the 10-29 y-age-group. Ingestion of paraquat seems almost always fatal, since the large volumes ingested make treatment universally ineffective. Aspiration pneumonitis (100 percent of cases), were remarkable autopsy findings in those dying from paraquat poisoning, while asphyxia due to respiratory paralysis was the mode of death from pesticide ingestion. Efforts to prevent suicide by poisoning may be more useful than treatment protocols.(Au)

Ethics and law in the medical curriculum: a University of the West Indies perspective

The Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS), University of the West Indies, recognises that ethics and law are not currently given adequate importance in the training of health professionals. FMS also recognises the rapid advancement of technology, such as transplants, artificial organs, in vitro fertilization, life-sustaining equipment and euthanasia, as well as the ever-increasing prevalence of malpractice. Thus two conferences were held to consider the implementation of ethics and law in the medical curriculum. The conferences recommended an increased input into the curriculum of ethics and law, and that this programme be taught and examined in all the medical years. The article discusses implementation strategies (AU)

Population genetics of four hypervariable loci

Populations of white Caucasians, Afro-Caribbeans and Asians residing within the UK have been analysed at 4 different hypervariable loci. A computerised system was used to store and to analysed the data. Simulation experiments were carried out in order to determine whether there was any evidence for population stratification, which would lead to non-independence of allelic distributions. (AU)

Annual report 1986

The volume of case-work handled by the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre in 1986 was greater than that of the preceding year, maintaining the pattern of progressive increase which has been observed since the commencement of the Centre's operations in 1983. The Forensic Science sub-division received a total of two thousand nine hundred and fourteen (2914) cases for the year. This represents an increase of 6.7 percent over the total two thousand seven hundred and thirty-one (2731) cases received in 1985. The increase in the activities of the Forensic Pathology sub-division was even more marked. Two hundred and nineteen (219) post-mortem examinations were performed as compared with one hundred and fifty (150) in the preceding year - an increase of 46 percent

The Guyana tragedy - an international forensic problem

Through the efforts of many of the leading forensic scientists in the world efforts are being made to develop a regional group of forensic experts who will be willing to respond to requests for help with major problems such as were faced with the Tenerife crash in the Canary Islands in 1977 and this problem in Guyana. This matter will be discussed in a session of the International Academy Meeting in Lyon in August of 1979 (Summary)

A 3-year review of medico-legal autopsies performed at the Kingston Public Hospital, Jamaica (1973-1975)

This report presents and discusses 946 medico-legal deaths which occured at the Kingston Public Hospital between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 1975. Sixteen per cent of the deaths were due to firearm injuries, 30 percent to motor vehicle accidents, 38 percent to sudden or unexpected natural causes, 12 percent to assault and 4 percent to either burns, abortions or poisoning. The desperate need for establishing a Department of Legal Medicine in Jamaica is emphasized. (AU)

The medico-legal aspects of the injuries of the skull

Points out the significance of noting the details of fractures of the skull in the living by Clinicians, and by the Pathologist in the dead, as it will throw much light on the nature of weapon used and the method of infliction of injury to the head. At the same time, the reasons for the variation encountered in the type of injury to skull and the related pertinent aspects are briefly discussed. For medico-legal purposes, to diagnose the presence of a fracture is not enough; accurate description is essential and this aspect is emphasized by appropriate illustrations. (AU)