Citation

Kumar V. Indian J. Community Med. 2002; 27(1): #9.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Medicine, KMC, Manipal, 576119 (Karnataka)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, Publisher MedKnow)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The incidence of burnt wives, whether suicidal, homicidal or accidental, has become endemic in Indian society. The reasons for this endemic are manifold like dowry deaths, marital infidelity, sexual jealousy, oedipal dominance of mother in-law over the grooms etc. Hence the study of such cases epidemiologically is of paramount importance to throw light on the exact nature of the incidents. In epidemiological study, the three factors-namely host, agent and environment are dealt. In the present review the burnt wives may be taken as the host, the source of fire as the agent and the surroundings where the burnings occurred i.e. the place of burning incident as the environment in the epidemiological terms.