Forensic Medicine

2. Weapons may produce two wounds,
 Entry wound and
 Exit wound.

3.  When a weapon is discharged, the projectile leaves
the muzzle at its maximum velocity and is
accompanied by a
 flame,
 hot gases under considerable pressure ,
 Soot,
 discharge of burnt, and un burnt particles
 At close ranges all these will cause injury to the
body giving entry wound many special
characteristics which the exit wound will lacks.

5.  The appearance of entry wound and its extent are
also influenced by the
1. Type of weapon and its caliber
2. Nature of the projectile
3.Powder used
4. Site of body hit, and
5.Striking velocity.

6. Rifle Firearm Effects
CO Less then 6 inches Pink discoloration
Flame 6 inches (1/2 foot) Burning /singeing
of hair and clothes
Soot ( smoke) 12 inches ( 1 foot) Blackening
Gun powder (unburnt
particles)
36 inches (3 feet. 1 meter) Tattooing

7. Rifle Firearm
 Injuries on entry wound depend upon four distance
 a. Contact Range shot
 b. Close range Shot – few inches
 c. Near range shot – 1-2 feet
 d. Distant Range shot.

8. A.CONTACT RANGE SHOT
A. Tight contact over soft tissues:
 Possible muzzle impression
 Circular hole with abrasion collar.
 Grease collar is present
 Bruising
 Local reddening from heat and monoxide (cherry
red color).
 Little or No propellant soiling or powder tattooing.

9. B. Tight contact over underlying bone
 Split or cruciate wound
 Local reddening and monoxide
 Bruising
 Little or no surface burning or propellant soiling
 Abrasion collar partly lost on skin tags.

10.  C. Discharge from less than 15cm(6inches)
 Circular hole with abrasion collar
 Flame burn on surrounding skin
 Burnt hairs
 Blacking (depending on ammunition).
 tattooing.
 Little or no CO in tissues.

11.  D. Discharge from 15cm to 30cm(6 to 12 inches)
 No soot, but perhaps powder tattooing, depending on
barrel length.
 No monoxide
 Rarely flame burns

12.  E. Discharge from more than 40-60cm(16-24inches)
 Circular hole with abrasion collar.
 No burning, soiling, burnt hairs or monoxide.
 F. Far distant Discharge at limit of range:
 Larger irregular hole with irregular abrasion rim
caused by tumbling bullet
 No other features.

13. POINT BLANK (VERY CLOSE
RANGE):
 Circular wounds are produced and abrasion collar as
well as grease collar is present.
 There is extensive burning ,singeing, blackening and
tattooing due to large amount of flame, smoke and
un burnt carbon particles.

14. Smooth Bore Firearm effects
Gases ( CO ) 6 inches ( 1/2 foot ) Blow back effect,
cherry red coloration
Flame 12 inches ( 1 foot ) Burning /singeing
of hair and clothes
Soot ( smoke) 24 inches ( 2 feet) Blackening
Gun powder (unburnt
particles)
6 feet ( 2 meters) Tatttooing
Wads, Cards 3-6 meters Minor injuries

15. SMOOTH BORE SHOT GUNS
 A. Tight contact discharge over soft tissues
 Single circular wound about diameter of muzzle
 Smooth margins
 Often muzzle imprint
 Blackened edge
 No surrounding smoke soiling
 Deep bruising
 Pink tissues
 Wads in wound

16.  B. Tight contact discharge over skull or bony area:
As last type but wound may be ragged and split
from gas rebound.

17.  C. Discharge within a few centimeters:
 Circular wound , unless oblique discharge
 Smooth or slightly crenated margin.
 No satellite pellet holes
 Surrounding soot soiling
 Tattooing
 Burning of surrounding skin
 Burnt hairs
 Pink monoxide in tissues
 Wads in wound

18.  D. Discharge from 30cm(12inches)
 Circular rat hole wound with nibbled margins.
 No satellite pellet holes.
 Soot soiling may persist
 Powder Tattooing present
 Little or no monoxide
 Still burning of skin and hairs
 Wads in wound

19. Rat hole injury / Cookie cutter phenomenon/
Moth eaten appearance of wound of entry
 In case of shot gun fire, up till 1 meter (3feet) all the
pellets make a single large hole.
 after 3 feet the edges of the wound will become
crenated.
 From 2 meters upwards, the number of satellite
pellet holes will progressively increase around the
main wound.

21.  E. Discharge from 1 to 5meters (39 to 195 inches)
 Central rat hole wound
 Satellite pellet holes around periphery.
 No burning
 No soot
 May be slight tattooing at 1 meter
 No monoxide

22.  F. Discharge over 5meter(195inches)
 Diffuse pellet pattern
 Probably no central Hole
 No burning, soot , tattooing, CO, no
wads.

23. Smooth Bore Firearm effects
Gases ( CO ) 6 inches ( 1/2 foot ) Blow back effect,
cherry red coloration
Flame 12 inches ( 1 foot ) Burning /singeing
of hair and clothes
Soot ( smoke) 24 inches ( 2 feet) Blackening
Gun powder (unburnt
particles)
6 feet ( 2 meters) Tattooing
Wads, Cards 3-6 meters Minor injuries

24. Exit wounds
 Exit wound may be
 stellate ,
 circular,
 cruciate ,
 elliptical ,
 crescent or star shaped (more common on scalp).

25.  . Exit wounds do not show any
 burning,
 blackening,
 tattooing,
 abrasion or contusion collar.
 The edges are everted, torn with pieces of contused,
haemorrhagic subcutaneous fat or muscle protruding
out of the defect. Some times even the bullet may
protrude out of an exit wound.

26. Variations in shape and size of
exit wounds
 1.When bullet tumbles in the body and fails to exit
nose-end-first
 2. When the bullet is deformed
 3. When the bullets exists as many pieces after
breaking up in the tissues
 4. When the fragments of bone are blown out of the
body along with bullet
 5. When the unsupported skin at exit tends to tear
and break into pieces.

27. Shored (Supported) Exit
wounds
 When the exit wound is over supported skin, it is
circular or nearly circular defects that is surrounded by
a margin of abrasion similar to an entry wound.
 When firm object such as belt , waist band of trousers,
collar, brassiere or tie is pressed against the body at the
site of exit wound.
 When body is leaning against a hard surface such as
wall, back of chair, table floor , bed etc.

28.  Medicolegal aspects of exit wound: From the exit
wound we can know
 1. Direction of firing
 2. Number of bullets that are remaining in the body.

29. Billiard Ball Ricochet effect /
Ricocheting of bullet
 A ricochet bullet is one which is deviated or
deflected from its course by striking an intermediate
object.
 This results in deformity, loss of velocity & loss of
stability.

30. Balling or welding of shot:
 Balling of shotgun pellets results in conversion of
shot into a compact mass that moves en mass up to
several meters. This is usually caused by faulty
manufacture or from the use of old ammunition.
 The wound produced by balling of shots is a circular
or oval entrance wound.

31. S. NO SUICIDAL HOMICIDAL ACCIDENTAL
Victim: Generally adult male Any Any
Site Where hands can reach easily i.e.
middle of forehead, side of head
mouth, under the chin & heart.
Distance: Contact or close fire. Any distance but usually distant
fire.
Usually close fire.
Direction: Consistent with self fire. Any Direction Any Direction
Number of shots: Usually one. Any Number Any Number
Cadaveric:
Spasm
Sometimes Positive. No Cadaveric Spasm. No Cadaveric Spasm.
Weapon Weapon is near this Person. Absent
Scene of Crime: No disorder of furniture in the
room etc..
Signs of Struggle may be present. No disorder of articles.
Circums- tantial
Evidence.
Farewell letter giving cause of
suicide may be found. Selects a
quiet room or a lonely place. Room
may be bolted from inside. Foot
prints on the floor and finger prints
on the weapon are those of the
deceased.
No farewell letter, room not
bolted. Foot prints and finger
prints of more than one person
may be present.
No farewell letter

32. SITE AND RELATION TO SUICIDE / HOMICIDE
SUICIDE SITES:
1. Forehead
2. Temple
3. Chest
4. Through neck
Clothes not involved.

33. HOMICIDE SITES:
Any site.
Clothes involved
ACCIDENT:
No relationship to the site.
H/O accident.

34. Suicidal firearm case.
 (Key: 5 S)
1. Site – classical. Temple, heart, mouth, chin.
2. Single shot.
3. Scene of crime – calm, locked inside, no
disturbance.
4. Suicidal note.
5. Spasm – cadaveric spasm. (Hallmark).

35. TESTS FOR DETECTION OF GUN
POWDER ON THE HAND.
 DERMAL NITRATE TEST (PARAFFIN TEST)
(NOT USED NOW)
LATEST TESTS ARE
 NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS,
 Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy
Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX)

36. Gun Shot residue
 When a gun is discharged , gunshot residues(GSR)
escaping from the muzzle of the weapon may be
deposited on skin or clothing.
 lead (PB)Barium (Ba) and antimony (Sb) are
characteristic of GSR.

37. OBSERVATION & CLINICAL FINDINGS
 Shape
 Size L x B x DNP (KUO)
 Site
 Relationship
 Angles, Margins, Bed
 Foreign Material
 Bleeding / or Not
 Surroundings
OPINION & INNERPRETATATION

38. 38

39. 39

40. 40

41. 41

42. 42
RIFLES INJUIRES

43. 43

44. 44

45. 45

46. 46

47. 47
SHOT GUNS INJURIES

48. 48

49. 49

50. 50

51. 51

52. 52