Forensic medicine is a broad term used to describe a group of medical specialties which deal with the examination and diagnosis of individuals who have been injured by or who have died because of external or unnatural causes such as

poisoning A poison can be any substance that is harmful to the body. It can be swallowed, inhaled, injected or absorbed through the skin. Poisoning is the harmful effect that occurs when too much of that substance has been taken. Poisoning is not to ...

assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

and other forms of

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or Power (social and p ...

, and apply findings to law (i.e. court cases). Forensic medicine is a multi-disciplinary branch which includes the practice of

forensic pathology Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases an ...

forensic psychiatry Forensic psychiatry is a subspeciality of psychiatry and is related to criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry. According to the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, it is defined as "a subspecialty of psychiat ...

, forensic dentistry,

forensic radiology Forensic radiology is the discipline which comprises the performance, interpretation and reportage of the radiological examinations and procedures which are needed in court procedures or law enforcement. Radiological methods are widely used in iden ...

and

forensic toxicology Forensic toxicology is the use of toxicology and disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigation of death, poisoning, and drug use. The primary concern for forensic toxicology is ...

. There are two main categories of forensic medicine; Clinical forensic medicine; Pathological forensics medicine, with the differing factor being the condition of the patients. In clinical forensic medicine it is the investigation of trauma to living patients, whereas pathological forensic medicine involves the examination of traumas to the deceased to find the cause of death.

History

The term clinical forensic medicine, coined by Thomas Stuart, dates back to the 19th century, referring to the connection between the usage of medical evidence for judiciary purposes. Although this form of forensics medicine has been used before this term was conceived. However, clinical forensics could not be considered a thing until both legal and medical systems were well developed. But, there has been evidence of some form of forensics as far back as 220B.C.E., in the Qin Dynasty, where evidence of linking medical and legal systems were written out. Forensic medicine emerged as a discipline in France in the late 18th century. Pathological forensic medicine was not considered as its own subfield until 1819, when Joan Lobstein was appoint the position of Professorship of Pathology at the University of Strassburg.{{Cite journal , last1=Choo , first1=Tae M. , last2=Choi , first2=Young-Shik , date=2012-05-29 , title=Historical Development of Forensic Pathology in the United States , url=https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1004680 , journal=Korean Journal of Legal Medicine , volume=36 , issue=1 , pages=15–21 , doi=10.7580/KoreanJLegMed.2012.36.1.15 However, forensic pathology has been used throughout history to determine cause all factors of a death (e.g. mechanism, etc.) by examining the body of the deceased. Autopsies of animals were conducted as early as 400 B.C.E. Until the 13th century the body of the deceased were considered holy and could not be operated on. However, around 1231 C.E. the first law that allowed for the dissection and observation of a human body. This led to further easing on the concept of human autopsies, as more and more occurred. This development led to many advancements in pathology as the human body was properly mapped for its structure and function, and studied for the causes of diseases. This led to the overall increase in health as ancient technique were rid of, and new scientific medical practices were implemented.

References

Histopathology