[Bullet embolism].

Bullet embolism is an uncommon consequence of penetrating firearm injuries, rarely observed in everyday forensic practice. The present report presents two cases of gunshot bullet embolism. The first examined case is a contact gunshot wound with the entry wound situated at the back of the victim.

[Using X-ray results in head gunshot wounds].

The authors draw attention to the importance of X-ray examinations in craniocerebral gunshot injuries. A life-saving neurosurgical operation of a victim resulted in changes occurring not only in the soft tissue, but also in the bony structures of the cranium, which practically rendered impossible any assessment of and differentiation between the location of entrance and exit wounds during autopsy. The assessment of preoperative head X-ray demonstrated the presence of characteristic crater-like bone defects, what allowed for determining the location of the entrance and exit wounds.

[A case of homicide by ergotamine poisoning].

The report presents a rare case of homicide. A mummified body of a man was found bricked up in the kitchen. Toxicological examination revealed high concentration levels of ergotamine in the internal organs and blood.

[Deaths of children in infancy, with particular emphasis on neonaticide in materials collected by Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years 1992 to 2006].

The issue of sudden deaths of children in the infant period is presented in the report. The analysis included a total of 54 cases of sudden deaths of infants. Death caused by a disease, neonaticide and intrauterine necrosis were observed.

[Bacterial nosocomial infections in the material of the Chair of Forensic Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Medical University in Bydgoszcz in the years 2000-2006].

The ever increasing number of legal claims and lawsuits associated with nosocomial infections has become a serious problem. The present authors analyzed the medicolegal opinions regarding nosocomial bacterial infections issued by the faculty of the Bydgoszcz Department of Forensic Medicine in the years 2000-2006. Within the evaluated period, the investigators observed an increase in the number of court cases concerning hospital-acquired infections.

[The O. J. Simpson case. Guilty or innocent?].

On October 3, 1995, one hundred million of Americans gathered at their TV sets to learn the verdict in the ex-football player O. J. Simpson case.

[Problems associated with medico-legal opinionating in spine injuries--a case report].

The paper presents a case of a 44-year old male with a compression fracture of the thoracic spine. In view of incomplete medical records and divergent results of medical examinations, the case gave rise to considerable difficulties in medico-legal opinionating.

[Analysis of deaths caused by rail-vehicles in the materials collected by the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years 1992-2002].

The analysis focused on cases of death following accidents involving rail-vehicles, in which autopsies were performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years 1992-2002. Sixty-five individuals died in train accidents (80%), 16 people (20%) were victims of tram accidents (20%). Males constituted 86% of the material, while females accounted for 14%.

[Opinionating in cases of assessing the subject's ability to undergo imprisonment in materials collected by the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years 1998-2003].

Estimating the subject's ability to undergo imprisonment and determining whether there are any reasons for delaying or interrupting the execution of the penalty has become a serious problem. Currently, the Polish system lacks clear and uniform opinionating criteria, and the available sources provide only general guidelines. The present report outlines the legal criteria in force in such cases and describes the opinionating criteria used in the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz.

[Myocardial infarction as an occupational injury as represented in the materials collected at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years between 2000 and 2004].

Myocardial infarction is defined as coagulational necrosis of the cardiac muscle caused by ischaemia. In the majority of cases, myocardial infarction is a consequence of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Excessive physical or mental effort can lead to a sudden increase in the required supply of oxygen necessary for the proper functioning of the cardiac muscle and in consequence to cardiac muscle necrosis.

[The degree of closure of the cranial sutures as a quick method for adult age evaluation in autopsy].

The aim of this paper was to test a method of quick evaluation of age of deceased during autopsies based on examination of cranial suture closure. The age of 20 males and 20 females was evaluated based on sagittal and fragments of the coronal and lambdoid sutures. The results were compared with the actual chronological age of the deceased calculated on the basis of their dates of birth and demise.

Postmortem examination of transepithelial ion currents in rabbit colon and trachea in relation to temperature of storage and its importance for interlethal reactions.

Electrical phenomena resulting from transepithelial ion transport have been a subject of clinical, physiological, pharmacologic and toxicologic studies. These examinations concern mainly electric phenomena in live organisms. The changes of transepithelial ion pathways which take place postmortem have not been yet established.

[Domestic violence towards children in the material of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz].

The aim of the paper was to analyze the phenomenon of domestic violence towards children. The paper was based on the results of forensic and medical investigations carried out at the Department of Forensic Medicine in The Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz between the year 1995 and 2000. Various, i.

[Inconsistencies between clinical and forensic recognition of brain concussion in the material of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz].

The material contains 128 cases of brain concussion diagnosed by physicians since 1995 to 2000. The bases of diagnosing and the rules of opinionating of brain concussion after trauma of the head were discussed. Inconsistencies between clinical diagnosis and forensic medical opinionating were observed in 69.

[Theoretical bases of electrical processes in epithelial tissue].

In this study the basic electrophysiological ideas are presented and the electrical processes in epithelial tissues connected with the mechanisms of transepithelial ion transport. Knowledge of electric phenomena which takes place in epithelium after circulatory arrest, can contribute to the future explanation of the mechanisms which accompany interlethal reactions.

[The case of a collar-bone wedge-fracture caused by the impact of safety-belt clasp].

In this study the case of a collar--bone wedge--fracture caused by the impact of safety--belt clasp was described. The presence of wedge--fracture is proof of an active mechanism of injury. This kind of fracture was described in traffic accidents as a Messerer fracture so far.