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Equipment

 

Museum: Museum is well established with adequate weapons and models.

WEAPONS

 

Semiautomatic rifled firearm

Description of weapon – Shoulder arm with long rifled barrel, magazine and bolt action.

Injuries produced by weapon – Firearm wounds, fracture by butt.

Medicolegal aspects – Mostly used for homicidal.

 

 

Pistol

Description of weapon – Hand arm, small rifled barrel, semiautomatic.

Injuries produced by weapon – Firearm wounds.

Medicolegal aspects – Homicidal, suicidal and accidental.

 

 

 

Kitchen knife

Description of weapon – Light sharp cutting weapon with pointed tip, metal blade with two edges.  One edge is sharp cutting, serrated and other edge is blunt.  Handle is made up of plastic.

Injuries produced by weapon – Incised wound, stab (punctured, penetrating, perforating) wound.

Medicolegal aspects – homicidal, suicidal, accidental & Self- inflicted/fabricated wounds.

 

Kitchen knife

Description of weapon – Light sharp cutting weapon with pointed tip, metal blade with two edges.  One edge is sharp cutting with serrated margins and other edge is blunt.  Handle is made up of wood.

Injuries produced by weapon – Incised wound, stab (punctured, penetrating, perforating) wound

Medicolegal aspects – Self- inflicted/fabricated wounds, accidental may cause beveled cuts and used for homicide and suicide

 

Kitchen knife

Description of weapon – Light sharp cutting weapon with blunt tip, metal blade with two edges.  One edge is sharp cutting and other edge is blunt.  Handle is made up of wood.

Injuries produced by weapon – Incised wound.

Medicolegal aspects – Self- inflicted/fabricated wounds, accidental may cause beveled cuts and used for homicide and suicide. 

 

 

Hunting Sickle

Description of weapon – Heavy sharp cutting weapon, two edges, one edge is sharp and concave. Other edge is blunt and convex thicker than the sharp edge.  Wooden handle is fitted with the metal part.

Injuries produced by weapon – Chop wound, cut fractures of the bones, abrasion, contusion and lacerated wounds by the handle.

Medicolegal aspects – Mostly used for homicidal purpose.

 

Hammer

Description of weapon – Heavy hard blunt weapon, striking surface is circular on one side and other side is knob like.  In between there is hole/loop to accommodate the handle.

Injuries produced by weapon – Depressed fracture on the skull.Abrasion, contusion, laceration & fracture

Medicolegal aspects – Mostly homicidal – ‘Fracture –a-la-signature’.Sometimes accidental.

 

 

Wooden Log

Description of weapon – Moderately heavy hard blunt,made of wood, non flexible weapon, elongated roller, with smooth surface all around.

Injuries produced by weapon – Lacerated wound on the skull may resemble incised wound so called incised-looking wound. Contusion & abrasions, fracture & dislocations.

Medicolegal aspects – Mostly homicidal head injuries.

 

Screwdriver

Description of weapon – Moderately heavy blunt weapon, long circular shaped one end with sharp edges and other end fixed with the handle.

Injuries produced by weapon – Punctured, perforating, penetrating wound.

Medicolegal aspects – Accidental and homicidal.

 

 

Motorcycle chain

Description of weapon – Made of iron screws and bolts which are arranged in a regular pattern.

Injuries produced by weapon – Patterned abrasion, laceration, contusion.

Medicolegal aspects – Homicidal (strangulation). Used in gang wars & riots.

 

 STONE

Blunt weapon causing abrasion, contusion and laceration type of mechanical injuries.

 

BRICK

Blunt weapon causing abrasion, contusion and laceration type of mechanical injuries.

 

 

 

1.    Museum: Museum is well established with adequate specimens and models.

 

TOXICOLOGY SPECIMEN

 

 Castor seeds (RICINUS COMMUNIS)

Identification  Oval shaped, glossy brown in colour and mottled in appearance, it resembles croton tiglium in size and shape.

Fatal dose  10 seeds on average

Fatal period  36 to 48 hours

Active principles Ricin.

Mode of Action Toxic principle-ricin (toxalbumin), more poisonous than cobra venom.

Clinical features  Burning in mouth, throat and stomach, drowsiness, shallow breathing, dehydration, collapse.

PM findings  Haemorrhagic inflammation of the GI tract, dilation of heart, haemorrhages in internal organs.

Medicolegal aspects  Accidental poisoning in children, powder - conjunctivitis.

 

 AbrusPrecatorius

Identification  Small egg shaped, bright scarlet coloured with a black dot at one end.

Fatal dose  90 to 120 mg or 1 to 2 seeds

Fatal period  3 to 5 days

Active principles Abrin, Abrine

Mode of Action Abrin inhibits protein synthesis and causes cell death.

Clinical features  Irritation of upper GI tract, delayed cytotoxic effects on CNS, liver, kidney and adrenal glands. Resembles viper snake bite.

PM findings  Fragments of needle found in the skin. Petechial haemorrhage seen on skin, pleura, pericardium & peritoneum. All internal organs congested.

Medicolegal aspects  Killing cattle by ‘suis’. Sharp pointed spikes or needles made by paste of abrusseeds, datura, opium, onion, rectified spirit and water. Malingerers use powered seeds to produce conjunctivitis.

 

 Poppy seeds

Identification  Small pinhead-sized grayish seeds.

Uses  as food (nutritious)

Crude opium

Fatal dose  Crude opium 2 g

Fatal period  6 to 12 hours

Mode of Action Opiate drugs activate receptor sites (endorphins), depresses all centres.

Clinical features Stage of excitement, stage of stupor and stage of coma.

PM findings  Signs of asphyxia is prominent, froth at mouth and nostrils and disappears rapidly from cadaver.

Medicolegal aspects  Sedative and narcotic. Intoxication or addiction to incapacitate victim during commission of some crime.

 

StrychnosNux Vomica seeds

Identification  Ashy grey, light hard, flat rounded disc with convexity on one surface and concavity on the other and appears like the button of a coat.

Fatal dose  1 to 2 seeds or 30 to 100 mg of strychnine

Fatal period  1 to 2 hours

Active principle– Strychnine, Brucine.

Mode of Action Blocks ventral horn motor neuron postganglionic receptor sites in the spinal cord & brainstem and prevent the effect of glycine.

Clinical features Opisthotonus, emprosthotonus, pleurosthotonus and risussardonicus.

PM findings  Rigor mortis appears early, signs of asphyxia. All other organs are congested.

Medicolegal aspects  Homicide and suicide are rare because of bitter taste, accidental more common due to overdose medicinal preparation.

 

Aconite Root

Identification  Brownish, conical or tapering in shape, arched and shriveled with longitudinal ridges.

Fatal dose  1 to 2 gm of powdered root

Fatal period  1 to 4 hours

Active principle- Aconitine, Pseudo-Aconitine, Indaconitine.

Mode of Action Stimulates nerve endings causing tingling and later paralysis, effects on medullary centres and spinal cord.

Clinical features Burning sensation mouth to stomach, tingling and numbness all over the body, Hippus.

PM findings  Asphyxial signs, unstable and is destroyed by putrefaction.

Medicolegal aspects  used as ideal homicidal poison. Accidental poisoning is due to eating the roots in mistake for horseradish root. Also used as suicidal, abortifacient, cattle and arrow poison.

 

 Marking nut

Identification  Heart-shaped, black, hard, with an ashy grey stalk at the base, weighs 1.6 to 3.6 gm.

Fatal dose  5 to 10 gm on average

Fatal period  12 to 24 hours

Active principles- Semecarpol and Bhilawanol.

Clinical features  Acrid serum produces eczematous lesion, resembles a bruise.

PM findings  Blisters in mouth &throat , stomach congested & inflamed.

Medicolegal aspects  used by Washermen to mark on clothing and linens.Homicidal and suicidal poisoning is rare. Accidental poisoning is by quacks. Juice produces artificial bruise.  

 

 Cannabis indica (Ganja)

Identification  Flowering tops with very little leaves of the female cannabis plant.

Fatal dose  8 – 10g

Fatal period  Not known

Active principle – Cannabinol&CannabidiolàTetrahydrocannabinol

Mode of Action CNS stimulant.

Forms of abuse - Bhang, Majoon, Ganja and Charas or Hashish.

Clinical features  Psychiatric and physical symptoms, chronic poisoning causes Run amok .

PM findings signs of asphyxia.

Medicolegal aspects Most widely abused drug in the world. Poisoning occurs due to overindulgence or accidental ingestion or inhalation. Used by criminals to strengthen nerves.

 

CALOTROPIS

Organic Irritant Poison.Calotropis gigantic has purple flowers, Calotropisprocera has white flowers.

Ingredients:Uscarin, Calotoxin and Calotropin. Milky juice- Trypsin.

Fatal Dose: Uncertain.

Fatal Period: 6 to 12 hours.

ML Importance: Indian Medicine, Twigs and juice for Criminal Abortion, Infanticide, Juice as vesicant, depilatory, Cattle poisoning, artificial bruise.

 

 

CHILLIES (CAPSICUM ANNUM) AND CHILLY SEEDS

Organic Irritant Poison:-  Not poisonous.

Ingredients: Capsaicin and Capsaicin.

ML Importance: To facilitate robbery, for confession and torture.

 

 

 

 

DATURA FASTUOSA PLANT

Deliriant poison.

Ingredients: Atropine,,Hyoscyamine, Hyoscine and scopolamine.

Fatal Dose: 0.6 To one gram (100 to 125 seeds).

Fatal Period: 24 hours.

Antidote:Physostigmine.

ML Importance: Road poisoning for robbery, rape or kidnapping by stupefying.

 

 

 

 

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