Septic tank burial: not just another skeleton in the closet.

Backed-up toilets lead to the discovery of a skeleton in the septic tank. Our challenges began with the excavation of this unconventional grave and progressed through recovery and examination of the skeleton, determination of the cause and manner of death, and ultimately, identification of the victim. Main aspects of the septic tank system are summarized, including functional theory, physical design and components, and general comments on use and maintenance. We discuss some basic principles applicable to the excavation and examination of any human skeletal remains, and offer a general approach to identification of the decedent.

Mortality from Hurricane Andrew.

Hurricane Andrew, a category 4 storm, made landfall in South Florida on August 24, 1992, and caused extensive structural and environmental damage. The Dade County Medical Examiner Department investigated 15 deaths directly related to the storm and another 15 natural deaths indirectly related to the storm. The aftermath of the hurricane continued to create circumstances that lead to 32 accidental deaths, five suicides, and four homicides over the next six months. Traffic fatalities due to uncontrolled intersections accounted for one-third of the post-storm accidental deaths. Dyadic deaths (homicide-suicide) doubled in rate for the six months following the storm. The limited number of direct hurricane deaths is attributed to advance storm warnings, its occurrence on a weekend, the storm's passage through less populated areas of the county, and the relatively modest amount of accompanying rainfall.

Not under the hammer: a revolver suicide.

A man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The only inconsistent finding at the scene was that the single fired cartridge casing in the latched revolver cylinder was not under the hammer. This inconsistency is explained by the discovery that the revolver cylinder can be hand-indexed in reverse. The revelation that the casing does not have to be under the hammer may be a novel concept to many investigators.

Endotracheal tube ignition by electrocautery during tracheostomy: case report with autopsy findings.

This case of upper airway tract fire resulting from the use of electrocautery during elective tracheostomy has significance for surgeons, anesthetists, and forensic pathologists alike. The major autopsy findings are described and illustrated. Suggestions that may help to prevent or minimize the risk of fire in this context are reviewed.

A new type of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusion: histological, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical studies.

A novel type of non-viral cytoplasmic inclusion is described, which was seen in virtually every neuron in the brain and spinal cord of a child with a presumed metabolic disorder whose clinical picture and CNS pathology were compatible with Leigh Syndrome. The ovoid to round inclusions were sharply demarcated, measuring up to 11 microns in diameter. They showed no distinctive staining with a battery of routine histological techniques. The ultrastructural features are unique, comprising non-membrane-bounded aggregates of randomly oriented plate-like structures with parallel linear densities depicting a periodicity of 11-16 nm. Immunocytochemical studies revealed strong staining with antisera to tropomyosin and weaker staining with antisera to actin. There was no reactivity with antibodies against neurofilaments, microtubules and their associated proteins, paired helical filaments, ubiquitin, vinculin or alpha-actinin. It is postulated that the metabolic disorder resulted in a neurodegenerative condition which manifested pathologically with lesions compatible with those of Leigh Syndrome. Associated with the condition was the discrete accumulation of cytoplasmic proteinaceous components, including tropomyosin, in the form of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions possibly resulting from an alteration of the neuronal cytoskeleton.

Homicidal hanging in a dyadic death.

Homicide by hanging is rare. In this case report, a young man stabbed his wife, hanged his son, and then hanged himself. He was assumed to be mentally ill, consistent with some other studies of family murder-suicide.

Neurochemical and behavioural correlates of the interaction between amphetamine and delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the rat.

A single dose of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (10 or 100 mg/kg) was administered via stomach gavage following the single injection intraperitoneally of an acute dose of amphetamine (1 or 3 mg/kg) in the rat. The THC effects, which included a reduction in spontaneous locomotor activity, the development of prostration, and circling behaviour, were antagonized in a dose-dependent manner by pretreatment with amphetamine. Although no change in the endogenous levels of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin in hypothalamus, hippocampus, caudate-putamen or the rest of brain occurred with THC, it appears that THC may have increased dopamine turnover in the brain. The dose-dependent amphetamine antagonism to the behavioural effects of THC was paralleled by a dose-related increase in brain dopamine concentration. This elevation in dopamine levels may be instrumental in triggering the neuronal events responsible for the amphetamine antagonism of the actions of THC. The subtle interaction of THC with brain dopamine neural systems may be involved in the reinforcing properties of the self-administration of THC.