Autopsy and its role in Franco's dictatorship: a case of the last Republican mayor of the town Calera y Chozas (Toledo, Spain).

In the town of Calera y Chozas (Spain), five mass graves containing the remains of 28 individuals were discovered during a 2012 excavation. The witnesses and historical evidence indicated that the body of the last Republican mayor of the town, Felipe Fernández Varela, who had died in September 1939, was located in the mass grave designated as no. 1. Within this particular grave, only two bodies were found. Anthropological analysis showed that the first individual was significantly younger than 50 years, being the mayor's age at the time of death, while the age of the second individual was closer to 50. This second individual had a fractured skull, with a depression on the left parietal bone, and there were unmistakable signs of autopsy, which consisted of cut marks on the frontal bone and the sternal extremity of the right clavicle. Further historical research revealed documents concerning the autopsy performed on this individual. Although, according to the report, the cause of death was a stroke - the consequence of atherosclerosis and alcoholism - no reference was made to the forceful impact to the skull or intracranial bleeding. Considering the size of the fracture on the skull and the fact that there were no signs of bone healing, we believe that this impact, and not the stroke, was the direct cause of the death of the last Republican mayor. The mayor's case is a clear example of the role forensic medicine performed at the beginning of Franco's dictatorship. The task was not only to conceal the crime but also to tarnish the victim's name.

A possible Echinococcus granulosus calcified cyst found in a medieval adult female from the churchyard of Santo Domingo de Silos (Prádena del Rincón, Madrid, Spain).

Calcification, or mineralisation, can occur as part of a natural process, or by pathological processes. The purpose of this work is to examine an unidentified semi-spherical and perforate hollow mass, found near the pelvis of an adult female, dated 12th-13th century AD, exhumed of the Church of Santo Domingo de Silos (Prádena del Ricón, Madrid, Spain). The mass was examined by SEM and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy. These procedures revealed a heterogeneous inner surface with both smooth and irregular areas. A larger spherical and several smaller crescent-shaped perforations were noticed. X-ray microanalysis revealed the presence of the elements C, K, P, Ca, Al, Si, Fe, and Mg. The co-localisation of Ca and P suggests that they may be combined in a mineral matrix, likely formed in vivo. Other minerals probably came from the soil, although Fe could be related to the presence of blood. The macroscopic and microscopic appearances, chemical composition, and location of the calcified mass point to a possible hydatid cyst from Echinococcus granulosus, common in agricultural populations. This study used a suite of analytical techniques that are useful in the diagnosis of unknown calcified masses and can, therefore, be recommended for use in future analytical work.