Determination of time elapsed since death from the status of transparency of cornea in Ranchi in different weathers.

ABSTRACT

Determination of ‘time elapsed since death’ (TSD) is one of the important content of the post-mortem report. Although the status of transparency of cornea is variable, depending on different factors like other parameters used for the purpose of determination of time since death but it is less variable as compared to others. The study sample comprised of 238 medico-legal autopsies conducted in the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand during June 2006 to September 2007. In majority of cases cornea remains transparent & moist in 0—06 Hrs and becomes transparent & dry in 06—12 Hrs, transparent to hazy in 12—24 Hrs, hazy to opaque in 24—36 hrs and opaque in >36 Hrs. In sequence, changes occurs more in warm & moist weather then in warm & dry weather and cold & moist weather respectively and least in cold and dry weather.