state of complete exhaustion. A few hours before death she was seen by a physician, but she was then insensible and in a state of complete collapse. The postmortem appearances showed the body to be greatly emaciated; the skin parchment-like, dry and shriveled; the muscles almost entirely free from fat, and the body covered with vermin. She weighed but seventy-four pounds, while two and a half years previously she had weighed about one hundred and twenty pounds. The stomach was contracted, its walls much thinned, and the food within distinctly visible; the intestines were pale, shrunken, and muddy. The only sign of disease was slight tubercular deposit at the apex of the left lung and a congested appearance at the cardiac extremity of the stomach, as well as of the duodenum. There were two small patches of miliary tuberculosis upon the arachnoid membrane on the upper surface of the left hemisphere of the brain; there was no appearance of meningitis. The medical man who examined the body stated that there was no disease in the body sufficient to cause or to account for the extreme emaciation and exhaustion, and, in view of the appearances which included all those which the best authorities regard as due to death by starvation, it was his opinion that the cause of death was starvation and neglect. The defense urged that the emaciation and other symptoms were due to the tubercular meningitis. This was maintained by three medical men who had not seen the body or had not even had an opportunity to consult with those who had made an examination. The general evidence satisfied the jury that there had been intentional and deliberate neglect, and that the prisoners were guilty of willful murder. The popular feeling at that time ran very high, as some thought that the conviction was not warranted. It was urged that the esophagus had not been examined for stricture; that the presence or absence of diabetes had not been proved, and that it was not definitely shown that Addison's disease might not have been present. In view of this the sentence was commuted from capital punishment to life imprisonment for three of the guilty ones, and in the case of the fourth, where the evidence showed only complicity, the prisoner was discharged.

CHAPTER X.

BURNS

Heat brought in contact with the body, whether by solid substances, liquids, or gases, may result by its action in a burn. Certain substances by their chemical properties may also exert a caustic action or burn.

Solid substances produce circumscribed burns, while liquids give a more diffuse area, and gases produce the most extensive and the severest burns. A burn may be severe or slight, depending upon the temperature of the heated body, and upon the length of time that it is in contact with the body. Burns caused by hot liquids are popularly called scalds. Burns may also be caused by friction, the so-called "friction burns."

Classification.-Burns have been classified according to their degree of severity. The first degree is accompanied by reddening of the skin without the formation of blisters. In burns of the second degree, blisters are formed, which contain clear serum, sometimes slightly turbid, and occasionally filled with blood. In the third degree the external surface of the skin is destroyed, and the portion that has been destroyed is seen as an eschar which is soft if made by a liquid, and hard and brown, or even black, if made by a solid or by a flame. This is usually surrounded by burns of the first and second degrees. The fourth degree differs from the third degree only by the greater depth of the slough. In the fifth degree the subcutaneous cellular tissue and portions of the muscles are destroyed. The external appearances may not be different from those seen in burns of the third and fourth degrees. In the sixth degree we have complete carbonizing of the part.

The injurious consequences from burns are due to the extent of the surface involved rather than to the depth of the burn. First-degree burns covering two-thirds of the body are seldom recovered from, and burns of the second or severer degrees involving a third of the body are generally fatal. Children are more susceptible to the effects of burns than adults.

Burns not necessarily fatal in themselves may be followed by fatal

results, due to the infection of the exposed surface. The cause of death after burns is dependent upon many factors. If the victim was confined in a room that was on fire, death may have been due to asphyxia. Shock is a very important element, especially where death soon follows. There may also be congestion of the internal organs, and even nephritis as a result of extensive burns.

Externally, the local lesions of a burn of the first degree may be

entirely negative. If the burn was of the second degree, there will be seen the characteristic blisters, showing the eschar in the burnt tissue. Where carbonizing of the tissues has occurred in burns of the sixth degree, there may appear cracks which may simulate incised wounds. If this occurs on the abdomen the viscera are seen shriveled and charred.

The postmortem appearances are not characteristic of death by burns. There may be congestion of the internal organs; occasionally edema

of the brain, and duodenal ulcer. If the person survived for a considerable time, there may be fatty degeneration of the internal organs, hypostatic pneumonia or bronchopneumonia, and sepsis may intervene from infection of the burn.

Burning of the body postmortem has often been resorted to in order to cover up evidence of crime. The time taken for the complete destruction of the body depends upon the kind of fire and the size of the

body. In crematories complete burning does not take place usually in less than one and a half to two hours, and where cremation is attempted by setting fire to the clothing or to the room in which the body lies the time is considerably longer. In these cases only partial cremation or incineration takes place, the body being found more or less charred, but not completely destroyed. The identity of a charred body is often very difficult on account of the destruction of the body surface, and the shrinking and contraction that may take place. In cases where nothing but

charred remains exist, identification of the sex may be made occasionally by the presence of the uterus, and the age of the victim approximately by the appearance of the hair upon the genitals.

The question as to whether the burns, were sustained before or after death is an interesting one. Burns that are received during life

will show the characteristics mentioned above. Those received postmortem may also be divided into several degrees. Slight burns cannot be inflicted upon a dead body because it is impossible to produce the characteristic reddening due to the disturbed circulation, and the red