Viscera
Definition
The standard set of organs and fluids collected at a suspected poisoning autopsy in India: stomach with contents, a length of upper small intestine, portions of liver and kidney, samples of blood, urine, bile and vitreous humour, each preserved separately in saturated sodium chloride or rectified spirit and sealed under the autopsy surgeon's seal before despatch to FSL.
- Standard organs collected
- Stomach with contents, small intestine, liver, kidney, and spleen
- Preservation methods
- Saturated sodium chloride or rectified spirit
- Container type
- Glass jars, packed separately
Common questions
What organs are collected as viscera in a poisoning autopsy?+
The standard set includes the stomach with its contents, upper small intestine, liver, kidney, and spleen. Depending on the case, brain and lung may also be collected. All samples go to the forensic science lab for chemical analysis.
How are viscera preserved after collection?+
Organs and fluids are packed in glass jars and preserved in saturated sodium chloride solution or rectified spirit (high-proof alcohol). Each sample is sealed under the autopsy surgeon's seal before transport to the FSL to maintain the chain of custody.
Why is viscera collection important in poisoning cases?+
Internal organs accumulate poisons and provide multiple tissues for analysis. Testing viscera alongside blood, urine, and bile increases the chance of detecting a poison and estimating how much was present at the time of death.
Related terms
- Post-Mortem Redistribution (PMR)
- The phenomenon where drug and poison concentrations shift between body compartments after death, generally moving out of solid organs back into the...
- Vitreous Humour
- The gel-filled interior of the eye, anatomically isolated from hepatic and gastric post-mortem redistribution sources. In forensic toxicology of hooch deaths, vitreous...
- Antemortem vs Postmortem Sample
- Antemortem samples are drawn from a living patient (most often blood, urine and gastric lavage at hospital admission); postmortem samples are collected...
- ASE
- Accelerated solvent extraction (Dionex ASE). Pressurised solvent at elevated temperature pushes the analyte off the tissue matrix in minutes, replacing overnight Soxhlet.
- BNSS Forwarding Form
- The viscera-forwarding requisition that accompanies sealed bottles from the autopsy mortuary to the SFSL or CFSL. Successor to the CrPC-era Form 65...
- BSA Section 63 Certification
- The provision under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 that governs admission of expert opinion. A forensic toxicology report carries the signature of...
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Clinical (Academic) Autopsy
- A post-mortem performed in a hospital to confirm clinical diagnosis or for teaching, with the consent of the next of kin. Not...
- Conway Microdiffusion Cell
- A two-compartment glass or ceramic dish with a central well and an outer ring, sealed at the rim. The poison is released...
- Decontamination
- The wash protocol applied to hair or nails before extraction, intended to remove sweat, sebum and external contamination so that the assay...
- Dowry Death
- Death of a woman within seven years of marriage by burns, bodily injury or other than normal circumstances with cruelty for dowry....
- Dying Declaration
- Statement of a person about cause of death or circumstances of the transaction resulting in death. Admissible under BSA 2023 Section 26...
Explained in these topics
- Autopsy and Post-Mortem Examination ProtocolThe internal organs (stomach with first part of intestine, liver, kidney, spleen, brain, lung) preserved in saturated saline for chemical analysis at the FSL.
- Biological, Non-Biological and Viscera Matrices in ToxicologyThe internal organs collected at autopsy for toxicological analysis. In Indian SFSL practice the standard set is stomach plus contents, small intestine plus co...
- Criminal Investigations: Deaths, Assaults, Poisoning, AccidentsInternal organs (stomach with contents, small intestine, liver, kidney, spleen, brain, blood, urine) preserved in saturated saline or rectified spirit for FSL...
- Extraction, Isolation and Clean-up of Poisons from VisceraThe internal organs collected at autopsy for chemical analysis in suspected poisoning. The Indian standard set is stomach with contents, small intestine, liver...
- Introduction and Scope of Forensic ToxicologyThe standard set of organs and fluids collected at a suspected poisoning autopsy in India: stomach with contents, a length of upper small intestine, portions o...
- Post-Mortem Examination and Viscera Collection in PoisoningThe internal organs of the body. In Indian forensic toxicology usage, viscera specifically refers to the standard set preserved at autopsy in a suspected poiso...