[Practice and research of forensic medicine learned from the dead].

Abstract

Practice and Research of Forensic Medicine Learned from the Dead' is presented by looking back my 29 years' carrier as a forensic pathologist. After joining in Department of Forensic Medicine, Kumamoto University in 1969, I had spent several happy years with studying on postmortem corneal clouding. Soon I began to have doubts on a purpose of forensic autopsy in my department then, which seemed to be only to/under the police. I spent one year at Department of Forensic Medicine, Leeds University in England in 1979-1980 and experienced Forensic Medicine not only for the police but also for the society in general. Visiting several university departments in Europa at that time, I felt confident that Forensic Medicine is one special field of medical sciences and will be worth a subject to devote my life. Clinical Forensic Medicine is one field of forensic medicine. Its importance has been recognized in the society by increasing numbers of felonious crimes and campaigns of human rights throughout the world. In 1996, the 4th International Conference of World Police Medical Officers in Clinical Forensic Medicine was ended in a great success in Kumamoto, Japan. Now evaluation and development of Clinical Forensic Medicine are very essential for both forensic pathologists and clinicians to serve for the society. My own activities of teaching traffic safety and preventing child abuse and neglect were cited as examples of 'Practice of Forensic Medicine Learned from the Dead'. Studies on differentiation of postmortem discoloration and antemortem bleeding by glycophorin A or erythrocyte membranes and an international joint research project with Tanzania on neuropathology of AIDS were examples of 'Research of Forensic Medicine Learned from the Dead'. It is an important mission for a forensic pathologist to work for/with the police to solve crimes by hearing a voice of the dead on an autopsy table. Through friendship with foreign colleagues, however, I have learned much about what should be a forensic pathologist and have been inspired with a phrase, 'The information learned from studying the dead could be used to help the living.' by Dr. T.A. Gonzales of the Chief Medical Examiner's Office of New York. Because social activities of preventing crimes and accidents are very much important matters indeed, every forensic pathologist must devote his/her forensic practice and research to achieve a peaceful end of life for every citizen, I believe.