As part of an investigation into death by poisoning in Switzerland we were able to examine the register of deaths at the Swiss Federal Bureau of Statistics. All the medical reports which named analgesic nephropathy as being the basic illness and the main cause of death have been taken into consideration in this work. 331 deaths occurred in the five year period 1967-1971, and were studied as closely as the documents allowed. The earliest cases of death arose in the thirties, the maximum number however occurring between the age of 60 and 70. Between the onset of kidney damage and the actual death elapses a period of about 10 years. The ratio from woman to man is almost 2,8:1. The occurrence is particularly frequent among childless housewives. The victims are people of widely different occupations and social classes. The analgesic nephropathy resulting from addiction and leading to death is most frequently encountered among the population of the cities, and the German Swiss Cantons, as well as among people of protestant faith. The shocking number of 331 deaths in five years (in 1973 there were a further 79 cases) bears witness to the need for adequate preventive measures.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A, B and H group specific substances in human vitreous humor.

The presence of A, B and H group specific substances in vitreous humor taken from 105 human corpses was determined. Good agreement was obtained between these group substances and the ABO blood group. The relationship with the secretor type is discussed.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Exceptional death by deep introduction of a dummy into the mouth.

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Asphyxia↗

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[Identification based on medical findings].

1. The indications such as the place of finding, the identification of clothes or other personal items, represent only the first step towards the identification of a corpse. 2. An identification based on medical data, other than dental, is often possible, more often than it is believed. 3. The forensic pathologist plays a double role in the case of such an identification: a) in the phase of the inquiry, he must contact the investigators and the families to explain his wishes and the different possibilities of identification. b) he must use the gathered information in the appropriate way. 4. It would be desirable to compose some statistical tables of the various medical elements useful for the identification (mutilations, surgical operations, etc...). We present six cases of identification in our practice.

Adult↗