A collection of essays on the social history of legal medicine including case studies on infanticide, abortion, coroners' inquests and criminal insanity.

1615 annotated references, most of which are located in the National Library of Medicine. Covers monographic literature (also chapters and parts), journal articles, and dissertations. Entries cover 26 languages and date from 16th century to present. Most titles are given in the original language. Alphabetical arrangement by authors. Subject index.

Forensic Medicine is an old medical discipline defined as “that science, which teaches the application of every branch of medical knowledge to the purpose of the law” (Alfred Swaine Taylor). Forensic Medicine deals with medical evidence not only in practice but also in research and furthermore all legal essentials in health care especially for doctors are part of teaching, training and research. Several steps in the development of Forensic Medicine can be distinguished: At first the use of medical knowledge for legal and public purposes.Secondly the compulsory medical testimony for the guidance of judges.Thirdly the professionalization as an own academic discipline. The development and existence of a speciality of Forensic Medicine depends essentially on two factors: on a sufficiently high development of the law and on a sufficiently high development of medicine. The period of professionalization of Forensic Medicine as an own academic discipline started in the 19th century, especially in Paris, Vienna, London, Edin­burgh, Berlin. Since than the world has changed dramatically and we are now witnesses of a rapid, deep-rooted social cultural, legal and technological trans­formation. Already 40 years ago Professor Bernhard Knight wrote in a survey on legal medicine in Europe: “In all aspects of life, the exchange of information on an inter­national level can do nothing but good and legal medicine is no exception.” This book on the History of Forensic Medicine is an approach in this direction. Forensic Medicine has a long and rich tradition since medical expertise has to face legal ques­tions and new questions and developments raised by the society. The aim of this book is to address the state of Forensic Medicine in different coun­tries worldwide. With contributions from Europe, China, Japan, the United States and the United Arabic Emirates.

The first book of its kind, Forensic Medicine in Western Society: A History draws on the most recent developments in the historiography, to provide an overview of the history of forensic medicine in the West from the medieval period to the present day. Taking an international, comparative perspective on the changing nature of the relationship between medicine, law and society, it examines the growth of medico-legal ideas, institutions and practices in Britain, Europe (principally France, Italy and Germany) and the United States. Following a thematic structure within a broad chronological framework, the book focuses on practitioners, the development of notions of ‘expertise’ and the rise of the expert, the main areas of the criminal law to which forensic medicine contributed, medical attitudes towards the victims and perpetrators of crime, and the wider influences such attitudes had. It thus develops an understanding of how medicine has played an active part in shaping legal, political and social change. Including case studies which provide a narrative context to tie forensic medicine to the societies in which it was practiced, and a further reading section at the end of each chapter, Katherine D. Watson creates a vivid portrait of a topic of relevance to social historians and students of the history of medicine, law and crime.

Medicine and the Law in the Middle Ages offers fresh insight into the intersection between these two distinct disciplines. A dozen authors address this intersection within three themes: medical matters in law and administration of law, professionalization and regulation of medicine, and medicine and law in hagiography. The articles include subjects such as medical expertise at law on assault, pregnancy, rape, homicide, and mental health; legal regulation of medicine; roles physicians and surgeons played in the process of professionalization; canon law regulations governing physical health and ecclesiastical leaders; and connections between saints’ judgments and the bodies of the penitent. Drawing on primary sources from England, France, Frisia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, the volume offers a truly international perspective. Contributors are Sara M. Butler, Joanna Carraway Vitiello, Jean Dangler, Carmel Ferragud, Fiona Harris-Stoertz, Maire Johnson, Hiram Kümper, Iona McCleery, Han Nijdam, Kira Robison, Donna Trembinski, Wendy J. Turner, and Katherine D. Watson.

Emerson's work on legal medicine and toxicology is a classic reference text that covers a wide range of topics related to forensic science. This book is an important resource for professionals in the legal and medical fields. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The US Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of The National Academies to conduct a workshop that would examine the interface of the medicolegal death investigation system and the criminal justice system. NIJ was particularly interested in a workshop in which speakers would highlight not only the status and needs of the medicolegal death investigation system as currently administered by medical examiners and coroners but also its potential to meet emerging issues facing contemporary society in America. Additionally, the workshop was to highlight priority areas for a potential IOM study on this topic. To achieve those goals, IOM constituted the Committee for the Workshop on the Medicolegal Death Investigation System, which developed a workshop that focused on the role of the medical examiner and coroner death investigation system and its promise for improving both the criminal justice system and the public health and health care systems, and their ability to respond to terrorist threats and events. Six panels were formed to highlight different aspects of the medicolegal death investigation system, including ways to improve it and expand it beyond its traditional response and meet growing demands and challenges. This report summarizes the Workshop presentations and discussions that followed them.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.