Citation

Vock R, Magerl H, Lange O, Betz P, Eisenmenger W, Freislederer A, Graw M, Meyer LV, Mohsenian F, Muller RK, Puschel K, Schmidt V, Schmoldt A. Rechtsmedizin 1999; 9(2): 56-61.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s001940050080

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

An accurate assessment of the duration of the ability to act of a victim of lethal poisoning can be of crucial importance in reconstructing the cause of the poisoning, especially in determining whether the poison was taken by the victim or given by another. Clinical studies have scarcely dealt with this problem. We therefore investigated 27 cases of lethal oral intoxication with cyanogen compounds on file at the university institutes of forensic medicine in Wurzburg, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin (Free University), Tubingen, Essen and Leipzig with regard to the victim's postintoxication ability to act. In addition we examined the records of the respective police and prosecuters offices as well as the relevant literature. In most cases the ability to act lasted only a few seconds to a maximum of 1-2 min. However, in some of the 27 cases the ability to act lasted for 5-10 min, a finding which agrees with reports in the literature. The present study is intended to provide forensic expert witnesses with guidelines for clarifying similar cases of lethal oral intoxication.

Language: de

Keywords

Ability to act; article; clinical article; cyanide; Cyanogen compounds; expert witness; forensic medicine; homicide; human; intoxication; Lethal oral intoxication; potassium cyanide; practice guideline; suicide; victim