Forensic Pathology

Death is an inevitable part of life. Even so, many humans fear death, and would prefer to "leave this world" with peace of mind. However, the reality of it all is that, anything can happen. Each year, tens of thousands of people die from what we call unclear deaths, such as suicide or homicide. Over the years we have developed a science dedicated to figuring out the cause of death, which we refer to as forensic science. There are many disciplines, which make up forensic science, each covering different aspects of the crime solving process. One of the practice, which is considered essential to forensic science is forensic pathology. This discipline involves determining cause of death by examining the body. However, what we know as forensic pathology …show more content…
There are a few exceptions that prove autopsies had been performed on rare occasions before this time. However, during this time period autopsies were strictly forbidden and an autopsy performed on a human being was considered a serious crime. Only autopsies performed on animals were considered acceptable. They believed the body to be something sacred and should be taken care of with utter respect. Additionally, they believed that if the body was cut, for anything other than ritual purpose, that person would not have an afterlife. According to the article Historical Development of Forensic Pathology in the United States, “humoral theories of disease dominated ancient Greek medicine and discouraged investigation to correlate anatomy with disease”(Historical Development of Forensic Pathology in the United …). This theory suggested that the body was composed of four humors, black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood, which led them to believe that any disease was a result of an imbalance in the humors. Because cutting open a human body for examination was considered a crime, people who studied forensic pathology and were caught, subsequently payed for their crime with their life. Because of this, forensic pathology evolved very …show more content…
Now a days autopsies are considered normal and essential to crime solving. Although forensic pathology is more common in our society and even featured in certain television series, there is still a great amount of respect that goes into the autopsy process. In contrast to when forensic pathology was still developing into what it is now, people who are certified forensic pathologist, or are students in this field, would not be arrested for cutting a body for examination. Furthermore, forensic pathologists have helped solve a number of cases and contributed in helping the relatives of the victim find