A medical man representing the accused
may be present, but only by consent of the Crown authorities or of the
Sheriff. Clothing should be examined for blood-stains, cuts, etc.
Examine external surface of body and take accurate measurements of
wounds, marks, deformities, tattooings; note degree and distribution of
post-mortem staining, rigidity, etc.
Examine brain by making incision from ear to ear across vertex, reflect
scalp forwards and backwards, and saw off calvarium. Examine brain
carefully externally and on section.
Examine organs of chest and abdomen through an incision made from
symphysis menti to pubis, reflecting tissues from chest wall and cutting
through costal cartilages.
In cases of suspected poisoning have several clean jars into which you
place the stomach with contents, intestines with contents, piece of
liver, kidney, spleen, etc., and seal each up carefully, attaching label
with name of deceased, date, and contained organs, and transmit these
personally to the analyst.
=Exhumation.=--A body which has been buried cannot be exhumed without an
order from a coroner, fiscal, or from the Home Secretary. There is no
legal limit in England as to when a body may be exhumed; in Scotland,
however, if an interval of twenty years has elapsed, an accused person
cannot be prosecuted (_prescription of crime_).
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