Forensic Medicine: Drowning, Asphyxia and Knight's Pathology
Published:
Reviewed by Bismith B · 09 Jun 2026
Questions
30
Duration
30 min
Faculty-reviewed
0
Updated
26 May 2026
About this mock
This mock test covers the forensic pathology of asphyxia, drowning, and toxic gas deaths as examined in UGC-NET Paper II Unit X. Questions test precise differentiation of asphyxia types: mechanical (hanging, ligature strangulation, throttling, smothering), environmental (wet drowning, dry drowning, immersion syndrome), and toxic (CO poisoning, cyanide poisoning). Key autopsy findings include the ligature furrow direction distinguishing hanging from ligature strangulation, hyoid and thyroid cartilage fracture patterns in throttling versus ligature strangulation, Paltauf haemorrhages and washerwoman's hands in wet drowning, the diatom test using acid digestion of femur marrow, cherry-red lividity from carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb), and Tardieu petechiae. Legal framing uses BNS 2023 Section 101 (formerly IPC 1860 Section 300) for homicidal asphyxia.
Designed for MSc Forensic Science and LLM medico-legal candidates preparing for UGC-NET Paper II, NFSU MSc entrance, and AIIMS Delhi PG forensic medicine papers. All questions are calibrated against Knight and Saukko (Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th ed., CRC Press), DiMaio and DiMaio (Forensic Pathology, 2nd ed.), Reddy K.S. Narayana (35th ed.), Modi's Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology, and Spitz and Fisher. Distractors differ on one forensic parameter: wet vs dry drowning, hanging vs strangulation furrow direction, COHb vs cyanide autopsy signs.
Topics covered:
- Asphyxia classification: mechanical, environmental, toxic
- Hanging vs ligature strangulation: furrow direction, hyoid fracture
- Throttling vs manual strangulation: fingernail and fingertip marks
- Wet drowning: Paltauf haemorrhages, frothy airways, emphysematous lungs
- Dry drowning and immersion syndrome: laryngospasm vs vagal inhibition
- Diatom test: femur marrow acid digestion and site matching
- CO poisoning: cherry-red lividity, COHb thresholds, BNS 101
- Petechial haemorrhages (Tardieu spots): mechanism and diagnostic locations
Allow 30 minutes.
Sources & references
Questions in this mock are written and verified against the following sources. Citations are recorded per question and shown in the explanation after submission.
- cited in 20 questions
Knight, Bernard & Saukko, Pekka -- Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th Edition, CRC Press
Chapter 15: Drowning -- Post-mortem Immersion Changes, Washerwoman's Skin
- cited in 4 questions
DiMaio, Vincent & DiMaio, Dominick -- Forensic Pathology, 2nd Edition, CRC Press
Chapter 9: Drowning -- Freshwater vs Saltwater, Electrolyte and Blood Volume Changes
- cited in 2 questions
Spitz, Werner & Fisher, Russell -- Medicolegal Investigation of Death, 4th Edition, Charles C Thomas Publisher
Chapter: Asphyxia -- Historical Context, Tardieu's Original Description of Petechial Haemorrhages
- cited in 2 questions
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS 2023)
Section 101: Culpable Homicide Amounting to Murder (corresponds to IPC 1860 Section 300)
Open source - cited in 2 questions
Reddy, K.S. Narayana -- The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 35th Edition
Chapter: Drowning -- Diatom Test, Species Matching and Site Identification
How our mocks are built
Questions are written and edited by the ForensicSpot team and cited from peer-reviewed forensic textbooks, official syllabi and primary case law. Each one is verified before publishing. Detailed explanations show after you submit, so the test stays a real test. See a mistake? Tell us.
Common questions
What does the Forensic Medicine: Drowning, Asphyxia and Knight's Pathology mock cover?+
This mock test covers the forensic pathology of asphyxia, drowning, and toxic gas deaths as examined in UGC-NET Paper II Unit X. Questions test precise differentiation of asphyxia types: mechanical (hanging, ligature strangulation, throttling, smothering), environmental (wet drowning, dry drowning, immersion syndrome), and toxic (CO poisoning, cyanide poisoning). Key autopsy findings include the ligature furrow direction distinguishing hanging from ligature strangulation, hyoid and thyroid carti
How many questions and how long is the test?+
30 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes total. Difficulty: hard. Tier: Premium.
Who is this mock for?+
Forensic science students and aspirants who want timed, exam-style practice with explanations and verified source citations on Forensic Medicine, NET. Useful for postgraduate entrance preparation and for BSc / MSc forensic students testing their recall under time.
Are the questions reviewed?+
Each question carries a verified source citation. Faculty review for individual questions is in progress.
Do I need an account to take this mock?+
Yes, a free ForensicSpot account is required to start a timed attempt — this lets you save progress, see per-question explanations after submission, and track your topic-level performance over time.