The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

10 The Health Bulletin May, 1951Association, the coroner is not requiredby law to be a physician nor are thereadequate facilities for thorough investigationof such deaths. Dr. Ford estimatesthat 300,000 (29 per cent) of alldeaths annually are from violent orobscure causes.If medical examination is not a definitepart of the investigation in thesecases, he said, the true cause and mannerof death in many instances maynever be established.How does such medical investigationserve society?Its most important function is toexonerate the innocent, Dr. Ford believes.But disclosing murders, providingevidence for civil and criminal courts,recognizing fa.tal contagious diseases,exposing industrial health and safetyhazards are also important.Too often, he continued, the driverof a vehicle involved in an accident Isgiven full blame for killing or injuringa pedestrian whereas the victim—becauseof drunkenness, disease, or medication—isoften equally at fault.He also pointed out that there aresound medical reasons for many accidents.He described the case of a driverwho was seen to "struggle" with thewheel of his car while driving througha downtown section. The car went outof control, turned over and killed thedriver. An expense notation for a drugwhich was fovmd on the body and asubsequent medical investigation establishedthe man as an epileptic, a seizurehaving occurred while he was drivingthe car.Nonrecognition of mvirder is common.Dr. Ford said. In New York City alonethe medical examiner service disclosesapproximately 50 deaths annually whichare due to violence not noticeable externally.To demonstrate the role of medicalexaminers in establishing the iiuiocenceof a person, he cited the case of a smallgirl who died suddenly In a drugstore.The druggist was immediately suspectedof leaving poisonous drugs withinreach. A medical examination disclosed,however, that a red rubber toy balloonwas lodged in the child's windpipe. Sheprobably had been chewing on theballoon, it was explained, and, throughforced inspiration in sneezing or coughing,the balloon was drawn into thewindpipe and prevented her frombreathing.If this death had not been investigatedby thorough autopsy, to this daythe druggist would lie under the shadowof suspicion, even though tests showedthat the child had not been poisoned,Dr. Ford explained.Massachusetts, Maryland and Virginiawere the only three states namedby Dr. Ford as being served by centralizedlaboratories for medicolegal investigationof deaths. These togetherwith Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut,Rhode Island and several citiesand counties of other states comprise atotal of 20,000,000 citizens served bysystems in which the investigator is atleast a physician, he said.Commenting on this problem in thesame issue of the Journal, Dr. Louis J.Regan of Los Angeles said:"When death takes place at work orin a trafiBc crash, it is readily assimiedthat it is an instance of accidentaldeath, while a medicolegal investigationmay reveal a natural cause and therebyplace the seemingly violent death Inits true causal relation. . . ,"Since, in many localities, the investigationof violent or obscure deathsis insxifBcient, the number of murdersthat actually takes place or the numberof deaths due to accident, suicide ornatural causes that are erroneouslyattributed to murder cannot be estimated."• • * *RECOMMENDED USE OFPENICILLIN OINTMENT INEYES OF NEWBORNSilver nitrate solution, the preparationnow being used in the eyes ofnewborn babies to prevent infection,may be replaced by penicillin ointment,as the result of a recent study. (Silvernitrate is required by law in manystates.)Drs. H. H. Davidson and N. J. Eastmanand Sanitarian Justina H. Hill of