Forensic Extracts by Dr. Sunil Duchania

  Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI):  The injury can be penetrating, such as a gunshot wound, or a non-penetrating injury, such as being struck in the head in a car accident. Anyone can experience a TBI, although nearly 80% of them happen to males. TBIs are also more common among older people. The severity of the head injury is decided by several different factors, such as loss of consciousness, certain neurological symptoms that happened at the time of the injury, loss of memory for the injury and time surrounding it, and abnormalities on head CT or brain MRI. Diffuse axonal injury is the shearing (tearing) of the brain's long connecting nerve fibers (axons) that happen when the brain is injured as it shifts and rotates inside the bony skull. DAI usually causes coma and injury to many different parts of the brain. The changes in the brain are often microscopic and may not be clear on computed tomography (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. On microscopic exami...

  Opium Papaver Sominferum grows through­out India, but its cultivation is banned except  on license obtained from the Central Government, for growing the plant strictly for  the purpose of pharma­ceutical industry. Government Opium factory is situated at  Gazipur, U.P. Mechanism of action: Opioids act via receptors on cell membranes. Opioid receptors are coupled to G  proteins and are thus able to effect protein phosphorylation via the second  messenger system and change ion channel conductance. Presynaptically, activation  of opioid receptors inhibits the release of neurotransmitters involved in pain,  including substance P and glutamate. Postsynaptically, activation of opioid  receptors inhibits neurons by opening potassium channels that hyperpolarize and  inhibit the neuron. Currently, there are five proposed classes of opioid receptors: μ, δ, κ, σ, and ε. μ  receptors are the main functional target of morphine and morphin...

  Battered child syndrome ( Cafey’s syndrome , the maltreatment syndrome) Most of the children are below the age of three years. The incidence is seen slightly more in boys. Position in the family: Usually there is only one child in the family who may be  youngest or eldest and is often unwanted who may be born before marriage, due to  failure of contraception and is usually an illegitimate child. Nature of injuries: The areas most affected are head, face, and neck. Bruising of scalp and forehead and  underlying skull and brain injuries are produced that is visible on autopsy. Bruising of external ear, cheeks, and the lips especially the upper lip associated with  laceration of frenu­lum is of diagnostic significance. The detach­ment of inner  surface of the lip from the gum margin suggests punching or slapping of the mouth . Bruising of the neck and sides of the chest may reveal fingertip pressure marks.  The neck may be held on each s...

  Legitimacy Legitimacy is defined under section 16 of Hindu marriage act of children of void an d voidable marriages. As per this section A child of null and void marriage would have been legitimate if the marriage had  been valid, shall be legitimate whether such child is born before or after the  commencement of the marriage laws (amendment) act, 1976 and whether a decree  of nullity is granted in respect of that marriage under this act and whether the  marriage is held to be void otherwise than on a petition under this act. As per S. 112 Indian Evidence Act a child is presumed to be legitimate if it was  born during the continuance of a valid marriage between his mother by any man  or within 280 days after its dissolution, the mother remaining unmarried. The  presumption can be rebutted if it is shown by competent evidence that: (i) parties  to marriage had no access to either at any time when the child could have been  begott...

  Datura Two varieties: (i) Datura Alba—White flowers (ii) Datura Niger— B lack or deep purple flowers. The fruits are spherical with sharp spines— Thorn apple and contains yellowish  brown seeds.   All parts of the plant are poi­so­nous, but the fruit and seeds are most  poisonous. Active Principles: (i) Hyoscine (ii) Hyoscya­mine (iii) Traces of atropine. Mechanism of action: The symptoms are due to the blockade of peripheral  muscarinic receptors that innervate exocrine glands, smooth muscle, and cardiac  tissue. Therefore, the primary toxic manifestations include mydriasis, which is due  to the blockade of papillary sphincter muscle and iris muscle; dry mouth,  secondary to parasympathetic blockade of salivary secretion; tachycardia, caused  by competition at muscarinic receptors in postganglionic parasympathetic neurons  and blockade of receptors in the SA node; and fever and erythema, because of  vasodilation and in...