Neonatal Limb Amputation—An Unusual Form of Postmortem Canine Predation

Cases of postmortem canine predation often involve elderly recluses and their dogs. The face, head, and genitalia are targeted. Two unusual cases of postmortem canine predation of abandoned newborns are described to demonstrate an unusual alternative pattern of mutilation related to the small size of the decedents, marked decomposition, and canine scavenging behavior. Both bodies were abandoned/concealed soon after birth and were subsequently disturbed by dogs. Both were markedly decomposed with absent arms. Other injuries included skin and soft tissue defects of the torsos, with loss of distal portions of the right foot and the left lower leg in one case. No interstitial hemorrhage was observed in any of the exposed soft tissue wounds. There were no significant head or neck injuries. These cases show that patterns of postmortem canine predation will vary depending on the age, physical characteristics, degree of decomposition, and location of decedents.     

呼和浩特地区夏秋季常见嗜尸性蝇类的研究

目的研究呼和浩特地区常见嗜尸性苍蝇种类及其出现规律。方法观察法研究7～10月份兔尸上嗜尸性苍蝇种类变化。结果该地区兔尸上出现的双翅目嗜尸性苍蝇3科8属10种,主要有蝇科的家蝇、舍蝇、开普黑蝇、刺足齿股蝇、厩腐蝇;丽蝇科的丝光绿蝇、大头金蝇、铜绿蝇;麻蝇科的棕尾别麻蝇、肥须亚麻蝇。上述蝇类在尸体上出现时间及部位表现出很强的规律性。结论研究结果有望成为法医在呼和浩特地区对尸体进行死亡时间推断的依据。     

成都市嗜尸昆虫种类季节变化研究

目的 研究成都市嗜尸昆虫种类及其与季节变化的关系。方法 经过两年重复试验,观察3～11月兔尸上嗜尸昆虫种类变化。结果 发现3～11月兔尸上出现的嗜尸昆虫种类主要有舍蝇、丝光绿蝇、大头金蝇、赭尾麻蝇、巨阿尾丽蝇。其中,巨阿尾丽蝇见于3、4月,舍蝇出现于4月中旬至10月初,而大头金蝇、丝光绿蝇、赭尾麻蝇则自3月至10月中下旬均可见到,10月底以后则见不到任何嗜尸苍蝇。幼虫的出现晚于成虫1～4天不等,与季节及环境有关。结论 通过舍蝇、丝光绿蝇、大头金蝇、赭尾麻绳、巨阿尾丽蝇的生命周期的研究,有望为成都市法医学实践中死亡时间的推断提供依据。     

尸体玫瑰齿现象与死因的关系

目的研究尸体玫瑰齿现象与死因的关系及其法医学意义。方法采用观察法研究各种死因的大鼠尸体玫瑰齿现象。每种死因观察10只大鼠,其中8只死后即刻取牙齿观察(非腐败组),2只死后置水中腐败出现尸臭时取牙齿观察(腐败组),观察后立即将牙齿置于酒精中浸泡,分别于不同浸泡时间再进行观察。结果各种死因非腐败组即刻取牙观察均未见玫瑰齿现象,但置酒精中浸泡后均逐渐出现玫瑰齿现象,并在浸泡4h后玫瑰齿颜色显著;腐败组取牙齿后即刻观察均见玫瑰齿现象,置酒精浸泡1h后颜色不改变;腐败组较非腐败组颜色明显。结论尸体玫瑰齿现象与死因无关,不能作为法医学鉴定死因的依据。     

判断溺水豚鼠在水中死亡时间的研究

乙醇和正丁醇大量存在于溺水尸体中。其浓度与尸体在水中的浸泡时间有一定的相关关系。温度能影响上述的相关关系。在自然平均温度１５—１８℃的条件下，运用气相色谱法测定其溺死后不同浸泡时间在血、肺、肝中存在的乙醇和正丁醇含量。其合并后回归方程式依次为ｙ１＝１１５．７２＋１８．２４ｘ；ｙ２＝－４１９．７１＋６４．７０ｘ；Ｙ３＝－３０３．０７＋５４．８７ｘ。研究中发现，溺死后７—１３天内，运用本方法来判断溺死时间的准确性较好。     

The theoretical aspects of the time dependent Z equation as a means of postmortem interval estimation using body temperature data only

It has been clearly demonstrated that the rectal cooling curve does not obey Newton's Law, which is exponential. The first success in modelling rectal cooling mathematically was achieved by Marshall and Hoare [1]. An amendment was made to the simple exponential curve which led to a good mathematical model, exhibiting the three main sections of rectal cooling, i.e. lag, linear and quasi-exponential. The resultant method of postmortem interval estimation required a knowledge of the body mass and height. The present study has led to a totally different amendment to Newton's Law, which provides a means of postmortem interval estimation from body temperature data only. The derivation of the method, with a background on Newton's Law follows.     

Postmortem diagnosis of syphilitic aortitis, including serological verification on postmortem blood

304 postmortem blood samples were serologically examined for syphilis at Statens Seruminstitut. Seventy-six percent of the samples were usable and gave clear-cut results (18% positive, 34% negative and 24% borderline). Twenty-four percent were indeterminable. The blood samples originated from 304 medico-legally examined bodies, 301 of whom were autopsied. The indications for the serological examinations were suspicion of syphilitic aortitis (SA) on the basis of the macroscopical appearance of the aorta at the autopsy--or information on earlier syphilis. Ninety-seven cases of SA were verified macro- and microscopically, 53 being lethal. The serological results were positive in half of these 97 cases, negative in 15, borderline in 21 and indeterminable in 12. A little more than half of the 97 cases were known in advance in the nation-wide syphilis index at the State Serum Institute. The variegated findings in the remaining part of the material are discussed. It is concluded that serological examination of postmortem blood may be a valuable adjuvant for the pathologist for the diagnosis of SA and other syphilitic manifestations.     

离体人胸骨骨髓DNA降解与腐败尸体死亡时间推断的初步研究

目的研究死后胸骨骨髓DNA的降解与较长死后间隔时间(PMI)的关系。方法采用改良Feulgen染色及计算机图像分析技术对离体人胸骨(取材后分别室温搁置0,1,3,5,7d)骨髓DNA含量进行定量检测。结果在较长PMI范围内,人胸骨骨髓DNA含量仍呈现下降规律。结论人胸骨骨髓DNA降解规律可望应用于较长PMI的推断。     

“尸热”现象初探

目的探讨在特定条件下尸体腐败过程中温度变化的规律,为解决死亡时间的推断提供科学依据,同时观察蝇蛆在尸体上所经历的温度变化,探寻其变化特点和规律为法医昆虫学检验提供依据。方法在深圳不同季节放置猪尸于室外的草地上,温度计探头分别置于舌下及插入直肠约5cm深处。分别观察记录口腔和直肠的温度,死亡第1d每小时测定尸体温度1次,从第2d开始每天定时测定3次。尸体上蝇类昆虫(成虫和幼虫)的发生情况逐日进行观察记录。在实验室观察恒温下不同蝇蛆滋生密度对猪肝块温度的影响。将初孵幼虫按不同密度分别接于新鲜的50g猪肝上,插入温度计,使温度计探头与猪肝块充分接触,再置于24℃的生化培养箱内饲养。在同样条件下,设立未接入初孵幼虫的猪肝块作为对照组。每天分别测定记录5次,然后对测得的结果进行统计。结果蝇蛆滋生可显著引起尸体温度上升,春季最高约上升8℃,夏季最高可上升22℃;升温主要集中在蝇蛆聚集的部位;蝇蛆滋生引起猪肝块温度上升的幅度较小,一般仅为数度;随着滋生密度的增加,升温幅度增加。结论蝇蛆活动可引起尸体温度上升,从而影响昆虫发育历期。凡有蝇蛆滋生的尸体均不能忽视"尸热现象"。     

Human Cutaneous Myiasis by the Australian Sheep Blowfly,Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae), in Oklahoma

This case report describes an incident of myiasis in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Paramedics treated a 53‐year‐old man in the field when he suffered cardiac arrest. He was intubated by the paramedics and transported to an emergency room, where he received two stents and a balloon pump. He was found to have a GCS of three and remained in the hospital for 7 days before passing away. After his death, the breathing tube was removed, revealing the presence of several maggots. On closer inspection, the dipteran larvae were found in both the oral and nasal cavities. Four of these larvae were reared to adulthood and identified as Lucilia cuprina (Weidemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), commonly known as the Australian sheep blowfly, by the Biology Department of the University of Oklahoma. Based on the fly's life cycle and rate of development, the infestation is suspected to be hospital acquired.