6. Death by asphyxia is still more import ant to be understood. It is limited to cases where the heart's action is made to cease through the interruption of the respiration. It is accomplished by all the possible modes of excluding atmospheric air from the lungs. The appearances in the body indicating death from asphyxia are, violet discolorations, eyes prominent, firm, and brilliant, cadaveric ri gidity early and well marked, venous system of the brain full of blood, lungs distended with thick dark-colored blood, liver, spleen, and kidneys gorged; right cavities of the heart distended, left almost empty.
Many indications as to whether the death is the act of God or the result of violence may be gathered from the position and cir cumstances in which the body is found. As thorough an examination as possible shou:d be first made of the body before changing its position or that of any of the limbs or vary ing in any respect its relations with sur rounding bodies. This is more necessary if the death has been apparently caused by wounds. Then the wounds require a special examination before any change is made in position, in order from their nature, charac ter, form, and appearance to determine the instrument by which they were inflicted, and also their agency in causing the death. Their relations with external objects may indicate the direction from which they were and, if incised, their extent, depth, vessels severed, and haemorrhage produced may be conclusive as to the cause of death.
•. A thorough examination should be made of the clothes worn by the deceased, and any parts torn or presenting any unusual appear ance should be carefully noted. A,list should be made of all articles found on the body, and of their state and condition. The body itself should undergo a very careful examina tion. This should have reference to the color of the skin, the temperature of the the existence and extent of the cadaveric rigidity of the muscular system, the state of the eyes and of the sphincter muscles, noting at the same time whatever swellings, ecchy mosis, or livid, black, or yellow spots, wounds, ulcers, contusions, fractures, or lux ation, may be present. The fluids that have exuded from the nose, mouth, ears, sexual organs, etc. should be carefully examined ; and when the deceased is a female it will be proper to examine the sexual organs with care, with , a view of ascertaining whether before death the crime of rape had or not been committed.
S. Another point to which the attention should be directed is the state of the body in reference to the extent and amount of de composition that may have taken place in it, with the view of determining when the death took place. This is sometimes important to identify the murderer. The period after death at which putrefaction supervenes be came a subject of 'judicial examination in Desha's case, reported in Dean's Med. Jur. 423 et seg.; and more fully in 2 Beck's Med. Jur. 44 et seq. Another interesting inquiry, where persons are found drowned, is pro sented in the inquiry as to the existence of adipocere, a compound of wax and fat of a yellowish-white color, which is formed in bodies immersed in water in from four to eight weeks from the cessation of life. Tay lor Med. Jur., Hartshorn ed. 542. • 9. Another point towards which it is pro per to direct examination regards the situa tion and condition of the place where the body is found, with the view of determining two whether it be a case of homicide, suicide, or visitation of God ; and, second, whether, if one of homicide, the mur der occurred there or at some other place, the body having been brought there and left. The points to be noted here are whether the ground appears to have been disturbed from its natural condition; whether there are any, and what, indications of a struggle; whether there are any marks of footsteps, afid, if any, their size, number, the direction to which they lead, and whence they came; whether any traces of blood or hair can be and whether any, or what, instruments or weapons, which could have caused death, are found in the vicinity ; and all such in struments should be carefully preserved, so that they may be identified. Dean, Med. Jur. 257 ; 2 Beck, Med. Jur. 10701., 136, 250.
As the decision of the question relating to the cause of death is often important and difficult to determine, it may be proper to no tice some of its , signs and indications in a few of the most prominent cases where it is induced by violence.
XO. Death by drowning is caused by as phyxia from suffocation, by nervous or syn copal asphyxia, or by asphyxia from cerebral congestion.