Characteristic features of suicidal drownings: a 20-year study

A retrospective study of cases of drowning suicide was undertaken at the Forensic Science Centre in Adelaide, South Australia for the period April 1980 to March 2000. A total of 123 cases were found, with 76 males (age, 16-88 years; average, 50.5 years; standard deviation [SD], 20.1 years) and 47 females (age, 34-88 years; average, 60.6 years; SD, 13.9 years). There were 66 fresh water drownings and 57 saltwater drownings. Female victims were significantly older than male victims for both fresh water and saltwater drownings (P < .05 and P < .01, respectively). Deaths in young women were rare. No temporal trend in drowning suicides could be shown, with annual numbers varying from 0 to 12 cases (average, 6.15; median, 7). Women preferentially chose the ocean or bath to drown themselves in, whereas males chose rivers, ditches, and lakes. Swimming pools were rarely used for suicide in this population; alcohol use was not usual; and there was often a significant history of mental illness.     

Traditional punishment and unexpected death in Central Australia.

Three cases of traditional punishment in Central Australian Aboriginal men are presented in which the thighs were speared or stabbed as part of a "payback" system. In two cases, an unexpected effect of the stabbing or spearing was death due to severing of major leg vessels. The relationship between customary Aboriginal law and general law in Australia has not been clearly defined; however, these cases demonstrate that significant and untoward effects may result from traditional punishments. Pathologists working near traditional Australian Aboriginal communities may still encounter such injuries at autopsy.     

The 3-week sulphasalazine syndrome strikes again.

A 34-year-old lady developed a constellation of dermatitis, fever, lymphadenopathy and hepatitis, beginning on the 17th day of a course of oral sulphasalazine for sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis. Cervical and inguinal lymph node biopsies showed the features of severe necrotising lymphadenitis, associated with erythrophagocytosis and prominent eosinophilic infiltrates, without viral inclusion bodies, suggestive of an adverse drug reaction.A week later, fulminant drug-induced hepatitis, associated with the presence of anti-nuclear autoantibodies (but not with other markers of autoimmunity), and accompanied by multi-organ failure and sepsis, supervened. She subsequently died some 5 weeks after the commencement of her drug therapy.Post-mortem examination showed evidence of massive hepatocellular necrosis, acute hypersensitivity myocarditis, focal acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis and extensive bone marrow necrosis, with no evidence of malignancy. It is thought that the clinico-pathological features and chronology of this case bore the hallmarks of the so-called "3-week sulphasalazine syndrome", a rare, but often fatal, immunoallergic reaction to sulphasalazine.     

Nomadic Territories: A Human Rights Approach to Nomadic Peoples' Land Rights

In most societies nomadic peoples face discrimination. At theheart of this discrimination frequently lies the crucial issueof property in land. The sharing of lands between nomads andsettled agriculturalist societies has often led to violent confrontation.Access to land is a determining factor for many nomadic peoplesas whether or not nomads have access to land will determinethe survival of their mobile lifestyle. Historically nomadicpeoples have not been regarded as having any rights to landbecause their nomadic lifestyle was not considered to fulfilthe criterion of ‘effective occupation’ of the land.By exploring the evolution of international law regarding nomadicpeoples’ land rights, this article analyses how humanrights law could provide nomadic peoples with rights to usetheir lands. Ultimately, this article argues that under thebanner of international human rights law, nomadic peoples aregaining the right to live on their land in their traditionalways through the gradual establishment of a specific corpusof law dedicated to the rights of nomads.