The application of differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis to dating bone remains.

Thirty-four samples of bone remains of known time since death were studied by using DTA, TGA, and derivative-TGA techniques. The DTA patterns enable us to distinguish recent from old (more than 100 years) bones. The TGA curve is also significant for an extreme series. Both DTA and TGA curves show a correlation that allows us to obtain patterns with high significance for the extreme series. They also make evident the decomposition grade that bone organic material undergoes during the postmortem putrefactive process.     

Vitreous humor magnesium in alcoholics

Postmortem vitreous humor magnesium concentrations were determined in 27 alcoholics and in 27 nonalcoholics who died of various causes. No significant differences in magnesium values were present between these two groups. The concentrations in those dying with alcohol withdrawal syndrome or in those with postmortem findings limited to hepatic fatty change did not differ significantly from those in the nonalcoholic group or from those of the alcoholics dying of other causes. There was no correlation between vitreous humor magnesium concentrations and postmortem interval in any group. We conclude that vitreous humor magnesium determination is not helpful in the postmortem evaluation of suspected alcohol-related deaths or in determining postmortem interval.     

A fatal poisoning with LSD

Radioimmunoassay, high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to detect and measure LSD in the first reported case of fatal poisoning by LSD. The levels found in ante-mortem serum and plasma and in post-mortem blood, liver blood and stomach contents are given.     

Diabetes mellitus and hypopituitarism

A 38-year-old diabetic woman developed hyponatraemia and fatal non-ketotic coma after elective cholecystectomy. At the autopsy, it was revealed that the immediate cause of death was cerebral oedema with secondary pontine haemorrhage. The cerebral oedema was associated with severe hyponatraemia and atrophy of the endocrine organs, including the adrenal glands. Biochemical analysis of serum taken immediately before death indicated that the primary defect was pituitary insufficiency, a recognised but rare complication of diabetes.