Death wound

“ Wounds made during life might show the suggillation peculiar to bruises or traces of inflammation. Besides, the gaping nature of the lips of the wound, the fact of hemorrhage [431] having taken place and the coagulation of the blood, the infiltration of blood into the cellular tissue, etc., are surgical facts that would leave but little doubt as to the infliction of the wounds during life.
The cause of death is often a difficult matter to determine, as it may have been accidental, suicidal, or the result of homicide. ”

“ In the latter case death may be due as much, if not more, to other causes than the wound, and sometimes not at all to the wound itself. Thus death may be due to natural causes, latent disease, an unhealthy state of the body, imprudence or neglect of treatment, or improper treatment, etc. These various degrees of responsibility of a wound as the cause of death we will now consider more at length. ”

“ A. "Whose sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."—Gen. ix. 6.
"He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. . . And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."—Ex. xxi. 12 and 23-25.
"He that killeth any man shall surely be put to death-And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him: breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth."—Lev. ”

“ And why is a wound, or death, from an explosive bullet worse than a wound from the most ordinary bullet or splinter, inflicted on a very tender part? The suffering in that case also reaches the utmost limit, and is followed by just the same death as results from any other weapon. ”

“ In the first two to four hours after death, therefore, as far as the condition of the blood is concerned, it may be difficult or impossible to say whether a wound was made before or soon after death. In other words, this difficulty exists as long as the tissues of the body live after the body as a whole is dead. ”

“ The amputated limbs and the dissevered body were united to the bloodless head of the murdered woman, and every injury by you inflicted after death has afforded the means of proving by comparison, beyond doubt, that the wound on the eye was inflicted by you while your victim was in life, and strength, and health. Horrible and revolting to humanity as was the spectacle presented by the mutilated trunk and mangled remains, fresh details and discoveries suggested both the means and manner by which you accomplished the destruction of the deceased. ”

“ If the wound was in a very vascular part and of some size, or if a large vessel or many moderately large vessels were divided and the vessels, especially the veins in the neighborhood, are empty, then we may be quite sure of death from hemorrhage. ”

“ Death has followed within a few hours of being struck with a poisoned arrow and this is only to be expected, for we know how dangerous it is for surgeons when they wound themselves during an examination of the dead body. ”

“ If the characters of the hemorrhage and the clotting are still more like those normal to a wound inflicted during life, then, as a rule, it is impossible to say from these two features of the wound, hemorrhage and clotting, whether the wound was inflicted during life or a very short time after death. ”

“ But a wound inflicted within two hours after death may resemble very closely one received during life. In general, unless a wound is old enough for the edges to present inflammatory changes, the embalmer must be very careful in asserting its antemortem or postmortem character. ”

“ What nerves or blood-vessels, particularly arteries, have been injured, should be ascertained. It is often important to determine whether a wound was made before or after death. The following may serve as a differential point: In all wounds made after death there is slight bleeding, non-contraction of the edges, and absence of blood in the tissues. This is the opposite of ante-mortem wounds. ”

“ Consequently we will suppose that there are but two wounds, and not multiple ones, and the question remains which of these wounds was the cause of death. A wound may be said to be of itself mortal when it is the cause of death directly or indirectly in spite of the best medical assistance. In some continental states mortal wounds are divided into two classes, those absolutely and those conditionally mortal, the former including those in which the best medical assistance is at hand, sent for or timely rendered without everting the result. ”

“ And if such acts do sometimes result in death, this fact must be regarded as essentially due to accident, and according as the wound happens to be inflicted, with more or less severity, upon a vital part of the body. ”

“ Among the secondary causes of death may be mentioned septicæmia, pyæmia, erysipelas, tetanus, gangrene, that is, wound diseases, also the wound accident—as we may call delirium tremens, and surgical operations rendered necessary to the treatment of the case. ”

“ Then, as well as he could, the dying man stretched forth his arms, wherein flesh and blood alike were lacking, and with all the strength remaining in his bones embraced her who was the cause of his death. ”

“ Hence it is that nobody has depicted its contrasts in stronger relief, nor as visibly shown the decay and bloom of life at one time the dull flabby corpse, a genuine clinical mass, empty of blood and substance, livid, blue and mottled through suffering, a clot of blood on the mouth, the eye glassy and the feet and hands clayish, swollen and deformed because death seized them first ”

“ An injury which opens a large blood-vessel is likely to lead the victim of such a wound to the tomb.
It is always wise to hold out hope to the patient, even if the symptoms point strongly to a fatal issue. ”

“ From the strange mixture of the material and spiritual common to men in that barbarian condition, the bodies or the blood of the slain appear to be the essentials of these requirements. Thus, also, the utmost horror is felt at decapitation, or at the severing of limbs from the body after death. ”

“ In a moment the skin is off, the raw flesh protrudes, blood and matter exude from the wound, and the pain goes to the very marrow of our bones. One cannot refrain from crying out and screaming as if one had lost one’s senses. ”

“ You shudder when a child mutilates its tender fingers, and the wound is carefully cleansed and dressed; then what emotions would have thrilled through every nerve of your body could you have seen those shattered frames, with limbs wrenched from the trunk by exploding shells, with gaping fissures, through which the soul had nearly escaped. ”

“ Travel-stained, covered with dust, and with spots of dried blood, some showing fresh and bleeding wounds—souvenirs of yesterday's rough sport—our clothing torn and disarranged, we were indeed objects of pity, calculated to excite commiseration in the breasts of any others than the brutal and sanguinary wretches who were about to put us to a terrible death. ”

“ The bleeding is but new stanched, and such matters as seeing his father and mother may make the heart to swell, and so maybe the wound burst afresh and he die. An he would hope to live, he must rest quiet until to-morrow day. ”

“ Can the breath Of very heaven bid these bones revive, Open the graves, and clothe the ribs of death? Yea, Prophesy, the Lord hath said again: Say to the wind, come forth and breathe afresh, Even that they may live, upon these slain, And bone to bone shall leap, and flesh to flesh. The spirit is not dead, proclaim the word. Where lay dead bones a host of armed men stand! ”

“ There is no doubt that a prolonged struggle took place, but the absence of blood-smears, such as would have been caused by the naked feet of the deceased, proves that the wound from which the blood proceeded could not have been inflicted during the struggle. ”

“ The little discomfort which the flowing of blood causes me, compared with the other pain, is like a fresh breeze after a blast from the infernal regions. It does me a real good to see my blood pouring forth: let it flow, it does me extreme good."
The stranger watched with an expression of delight the blood pouring from the wound, and the doctor was obliged to insist on binding up the hand. ”

“ I have always had an insurmountable horror of blood; when I was a boy, the sight of an open wound affected me so much that I would fall into a swoon, which on more than one occasion nearly cost me my life. ”

“ And a man with death's dews on his forehead, and blood on his coat and his cheek;
"I am dying — I feel death upon me — but yet, even yet, if God wills
I may crawl on my knees to the doctor's — yes, this is the last of the hills! ”

“ Injuries or Wounds.—These include in a medico-legal sense not only those characterized as incised, punctured, contused, lacerated, stab wounds, but also burns, injuries produced by firearms, fractures, dislocations, &c. One of the chief questions which have to be decided in all forms of violent death is whether it was the result of accident, suicide or murder. ”

“ Bones, nerves, and veins, and flesh, are covered in
By this opaque transparency of skin,
Precisely that we should not see within.
The corpse is hid, that Death may work its vile
Corruption in black secrecy; the while
Our saddest graves with grass and fair flowers smile. ”

“ When the bone had made the wound, the dead man's power, which had been brought by incantations to the arrow, would make the wound fatal. The preparation of burning juices mixed with charms, and smeared upon the bone with charms, carries to the wound what is itself like inflammation, and the ghost will make it inflame. ”

“ Those who were murdered--and they were found nearly every morning lying in the streets or in houses--had all the selfsame mortal wound--a dagger-thrust, right through the heart, which the surgeons said must have been delivered with such swiftness and certainty that the victim must have fallen dead without the power of uttering a sound. ”

“ Partridge.—I believe the immediate cause of death to have been a blow on the back of the neck by some blunt instrument, but I judge of the violence which must have been used, from other circumstances, namely, the freshness of the body, the rigidity of the limbs, the swollen state of the face, the bloodshot eyes, and their perfect freshness. ”

“ When these Wounds penetrate into the Substance of the Brain, or Marrow of the Back-Bone, or into the Heart, Pericardium, great Vessels, and other noble Parts, Death always inevitably follows, and often happens at the very Instant. ”

“ How are we to ascertain whether a person has died from hemorrhage? This may be more difficult in the case of an open wound, for the body may have been moved from the spot where it lay after the wound was received, and the blood on the body, clothes, and surrounding objects may have been removed. ”

“ Wretched beings at the point of death, thrown by the wayside, continued to call with feeble voice, 'I have not the plague, I am but wounded;' and, to convince those that passed, they might be seen tearing open their real wounds, or inflicting new ones. ”

“ Haemorrhage from a Wound.--When the blood does not pour or trickle in a steady stream from a deep wound, but jets forth in pulses, and is of a bright red colour, all the bandages in the world will not stop it. ”

“ It was a horrible wound. The skull, shattered by some deadly weapon, left the brain exposed, which was much injured. Clots of blood had formed in the bruised and broken mass, in color like the dregs of wine. ”

“ Some rushed round the fallen man and raised him up, gazing on his face, or striving to stanch the bleeding of a small wound on the right side, which would have seemed of no great importance, had not the torrent of gore which poured from it told how deep the avenging blade had gone. ”

“ Oh, if the cruel shots could only kill at once—but this terrible mutilation, when the soul is almost let out of the gaping wounds, and struggles with the full strength of manhood, till faint and weary—weak with the deluge of blood, which has drained the fountain, the cold hand of dissolution clutches at the heart, and the soul goes forth from the torn body, leaving it a poor lump of festering flesh, on which the worms may banquet at will! ”

“ And such folk as can heal and cure came to examine into their wounds and to tend them that night, for they could do nothing more for them, so severe and so deadly were the stabs and the thrusts, and the gashes of the many wounds that they had, than to apply to them spells and incantations and charms, in order to staunch their blood, and their bleeding mortal wounds. ”

“ Finally, he would rend the pericardium, and arrive directly at the heart itself.”
“And kill you!” cried Guy.
“I should die,” I answered composedly, “as men have died after inoculating themselves with the plague; only my death would be more glorious, because incurred for pure science, and in face of a certainty. It is precisely on this account that the act will insure to our names the honor and reverence of all future generations.” ”

“ If traces of blood do connect the larger blood-spots, it is of interest and importance to know where the deceased was wounded and where he died, also whether he moved or if he was moved before or after death. ”

“ And yet lieth many a man more days than one, in well-near as great pain continually, as is the pain that with the violent death riddeth the man in less than half an hour—unless you think that, whereas the pain is great to have a knife cut the flesh on the outside from the skin inward, the pain would be much less if the knife might begin on the inside and cut from the midst outward! ”

“ When the body escaped mutilation, seldom did the heart go to the grave unscarred. ”

“ When the heart is wounded, the weapon appears at the left breast, and feels not as if in a cavity, but as fixed in another body, and sometimes there is a throbbing motion; there is a discharge of black blood if it can find vent, with coldness, sweats, and deliquium animi, and death follows in a short time. When the lungs are wounded, if the opening be sufficiently large, a frothy blood passes out at it ”