Report on two cases of cadaveric spasm.

ABSTRACT

The authors made a report of two incidents of suicide firing pistol. The first individual definitely fired directly into the right temple (Fig. 2 a) with the right hand but the pistol was removed before a photograph was taken. Following postmortem examination by the Department of Medical Jurisprudence, the authors made an examination of the brain which was preserved in 10% formalin solution. The right cerebral hemisphere was nearly totally destroyed together with the brain stem until separation of the cerebellum. This is the main point where nervous connection from the suppressor area is made with cells in the spinal cord supplying muscles used for griping; unable to loose their contraction. The continued grabping of the hand causes the condition called cadaveric spasm. The second case was from news and pictures published by a husband was not newspaper. A couple used separate pistols to kill themselves. The picture showed he dead woman, but the husband was not photographed as he did not die immediately. He was sent to a hospital where he died afterward. The right hand of the dead woman lay on her right hip, griping the pistol in a condition of cadaveric spasm. Still the investigation was as in the first case were sure that the woman killed herself, because if she was killed by her husband the pistol would not be in her hand. The brains of both were examined. The cerebral hemispheres of the woman were mostly destroyed by the bullet. The cerebellum was separated because of the total destruction of the total destruction of the brain stem making nervous connection between the cerebral cortex to cells in the spinal cord impossible as in the first case, causing cadaveric spasm. The two cases demonstrate a cause of cadaveric spasm. This condition can be produced in living persons by hypnotism.