Medical Jurisprudence Volume 2

To aid the administration of justice in cases of homicide is not only the most useful, but the most frequent, applica-tion of medical jurisprudence; this subject, as well for its complexity as for its importance, must be subdivided into many heads. It is first necessary that the medical practitio-ner should determine by examination, inspection, or dissec-tion, whether the matter ought to be referred to the criminal tribunals, or whether the decease of the party is to be attri-buted to any of those natural causes, which are generally classed as "Death by the Visitation of God." In some instan-ces this examination will take place in aid of the coroner‟s inquest, in others it will be preparatory to it; in both cases it is equally important that it should be minutely, faithfully, and ably conducted; for it is on the medical report that the first impressions will be founded, and the prejudices created by it in the public mind may not easily be effaced by any subsequent investigation. If, however, it be determined that the cause of death has been violent, it is then necessary to enquire to which of the classes of homicide the act is to be attributed.