ForensicSpot7 modules
Forensic Toxicology
Poison classification, the Indian statutory frame (Poison Act 1919, Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, NDPS Act 1985), sample matrices and classical extraction, the chromatography and spectrometry that confirm a poisoning case, and the major classes of poisons that drive Indian medico-legal work, end to end.
- 78hours
- 25topics
- 7modules
Module 19 hrs3 topics
Foundations of forensic toxicology
What forensic toxicology actually does inside an investigation, how poisons are classified by origin, mode of action and chemical nature, and what makes one poison more lethal than another in the same dose.
Start module- Introduction and Scope of Forensic ToxicologyWhat forensic toxicology actually does inside an Indian investigation, how it sits alongside clinical, environmental and regulatory toxicology, and the working examiner's day-to-day caseload at CFSL, SFSL and AIIMS toxicology units.14 min
- Classification of Poisons by Origin, Action and Chemical NatureThe four working classifications a toxicologist uses on every case: by origin (mineral, vegetable, animal, synthetic), by mode of action (corrosive, irritant, neurotoxic, cardiotoxic, asphyxiant), by chemical nature, and by intent (accidental, suicidal, homicidal).12 min
- Factors Affecting the Intensity of PoisoningDose, route, age, sex, body mass, tolerance, idiosyncrasy, the form and physical state of the poison, simultaneous food and alcohol, hepatic and renal status, and how Indian post-mortem interpretation actually weighs these variables.14 min
Module 212 hrs4 topics
Poisoning in India: signs, scene and law
Signs, symptoms and antidotes for the poisons that turn up in Indian post-mortems, the patterns NCRB and ICMR data show on suicidal and accidental poisoning, how a poisoning crime scene is worked, and the Indian statutory frame: Poison Act 1919, Drugs Act 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Start module- Signs, Symptoms and Antidotes of Common PoisonsToxidromes a clinician and a toxicologist read off bedside: cholinergic, anticholinergic, opioid, sympathomimetic and sedative-hypnotic patterns, paired with the antidotes actually stocked in Indian government hospital pharmacies.12 min
- Poisoning Trends and Patterns in IndiaWhat NCRB Accidental Deaths and Suicides data and the ICMR Burden of Suicide study show on Indian poisoning: aluminium phosphide in Punjab and Haryana, organophosphates across rural Maharashtra and Andhra, sedatives in urban suicides, and the rural to urban shift since 2015.15 min
- Crime Scene Investigation in Poisoning CasesWhat an investigating officer collects at a suspected poisoning scene, the precautions a forensic team takes before disturbing residues, vomitus, food containers and prescription bottles, and the chain of custody requirements under BNSS 2023 and BSA Section 63.13 min
- Indian Poison Laws: Poison Act 1919, Drugs Act 1940 and Drugs and Cosmetics ActThe statutory frame for sale, storage and prescription of poisons and scheduled drugs in India: Poison Act 1919, Drugs Act 1940, Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 with its 1945 Rules and the schedules H, H1, X and G that decide what reaches the public counter.13 min
Module 312 hrs4 topics
Sample matrices and classical extraction
Viscera and biological sample collection at autopsy, classification of matrices, and the classical wet-chemistry extraction methods every Indian toxicology lab still relies on: Stas-Otto, ammonium sulphate, distillation, microdiffusion and dialysis.
Start module- Post-Mortem Examination and Viscera Collection in PoisoningWhat the autopsy surgeon collects from a suspected poisoning case, the standard viscera set (stomach with contents, small intestine, liver, kidney, blood, urine, vitreous), the preservatives used, and how the toxicology requisition reaches FSL Sector 14 Madhuban or the relevant SFSL.14 min
- Biological, Non-Biological and Viscera Matrices in ToxicologyHow a forensic toxicologist classifies the sample that lands on the bench: biological (blood, urine, hair, nails, bile, vitreous), non-biological (food, water, soil, scene residues), and viscera, with the analytical implications of each matrix for extraction and interpretation.15 min
- Classical Extraction: Stas-Otto and Ammonium Sulphate MethodsThe acid and alkaline solvent partitioning that anchors Indian toxicology benches: original Stas-Otto, the modified version still taught at NFSU and used at CFSL Chandigarh, and the ammonium sulphate variant for tissue homogenates loaded with protein.13 min
- Distillation, Microdiffusion and Dialysis TechniquesThe classical isolation workhorses for volatile and small-molecule poisons: simple and steam distillation, the Conway microdiffusion cell for cyanide and ethanol, and dialysis for clean-up of biological matrices before instrumental analysis.13 min
Module 412 hrs3 topics
Modern extraction and chromatographic techniques
Dry ashing and wet digestion for metallic poisons, the modern extraction stack (SPE, SPME, accelerated solvent extraction), and the chromatographic separation toolkit used in routine and reference toxicology: TLC, HPLC, HPTLC and GLC.
Start module- Dry Ashing and Wet Digestion for Metallic PoisonsHow metallic poisons are liberated from biological matrix before AAS or ICP analysis: muffle-furnace dry ashing, classical wet digestion with nitric and sulphuric acid, and the modern microwave-assisted digestion that NABL labs now prefer.8 min
- Modern Extraction: SPE, SPME and Accelerated Solvent ExtractionSolid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibres, accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), preparative TLC and HPTLC: the modern clean-up stack that displaced classical liquid-liquid extraction across Indian forensic toxicology labs.8 min
- Chromatographic Techniques: TLC, HPLC, HPTLC and GLCThe four chromatographic workhorses of a forensic toxicology lab: thin layer chromatography for screening, HPLC and HPTLC for separating drugs and dyes, and gas-liquid chromatography for volatile poisons and pesticides, with the detectors and Indian SOPs that go with each.14 min
Module 512 hrs3 topics
Spectrometric and inorganic analysis
UV-Vis, FTIR and mass spectrometry as detection layers on top of chromatography, the AAS/ICP/IC stack for inorganic poisons, and the gas and volatile poison cases (CO, cyanide, methanol, ethanol) that every Indian lab sees on a weekly basis.
Start module- Spectrometric Detection: UV-Vis, FTIR and Mass SpectrometryUV-Vis absorbance and the Beer-Lambert law for routine quantitation, FTIR fingerprinting of unknown solids and residues, and mass spectrometry as the confirmatory tier (GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, high-resolution MS) that turns a presumptive screen into a court-grade identification.18 min
- Inorganic Poison Analysis: AAS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS and Ion ChromatographyHow toxic metals and anions are quantitated after wet digestion: flame and graphite-furnace AAS, ICP-OES and ICP-MS for multi-element panels, and ion chromatography for anions like fluoride, chloride and oxalate, with detection limits matched to Indian medico-legal cut-offs.10 min
- Gases and Volatile Poisons: Carbon Monoxide, Cyanide, Methanol and EthanolThe volatile poison casebook of an Indian toxicology lab: carbon monoxide and carboxyhaemoglobin in fire deaths, cyanide in industrial and homicidal cases, methanol in the hooch tragedies of Bihar and Gujarat, and ethanol quantitation under Section 185 Motor Vehicles Act.14 min
Module 69 hrs3 topics
Classes of poisons
The major chemical and pharmacological classes a forensic toxicologist works through case after case: toxic metals and anions, the pesticide groups that dominate Indian rural poisoning, and the acidic, neutral and alkaline drug classes seen in drug-facilitated crime.
Start module- Toxic Metals and Anions: Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Thallium and BeyondThe metal poison panel that lands on the AAS and ICP-MS at every Indian state FSL: arsenic in groundwater and homicidal cases, lead in paint and surma, mercury in vermilion and dental amalgam, thallium in academic poisonings, and the Reinsch and Marsh tests still on the syllabus.14 min
- Pesticide Poisoning: Organophosphate, Carbamate, Pyrethroid and Aluminium PhosphideThe pesticide groups behind most Indian rural poisoning deaths: organophosphates (chlorpyrifos, monocrotophos) and the cholinergic toxidrome, carbamates and pyrethroids, organochlorines like endosulfan and DDT, and the aluminium phosphide problem that dominates Punjab and Haryana autopsies.15 min
- Acidic, Neutral and Alkaline Drug AnalysisHow drugs are partitioned by pKa across acidic, neutral and alkaline fractions before chromatographic analysis: barbiturates and NSAIDs in the acid fraction, benzodiazepines in the neutral, opioids and tricyclics in the alkaline, with the Indian DFC case patterns that drive this workflow.14 min
Module 712 hrs5 topics
Specialised matrices and natural poisons
Hair analysis as a long-window matrix for drugs and chronic poisoning, drug metabolism and metabolite identification, the bacterial and chemical patterns in food poisoning, and the plant and animal poisons that still appear in Indian medico-legal practice.
Start module- Hair Analysis for Drugs and Chronic PoisoningWhy hair is the long-window matrix for chronic drug use and slow poisoning: segmental analysis at one centimetre per month, the SOFT/SOHT cut-offs, decontamination protocols, and the Indian medico-legal cases where hair arsenic and hair thallium broke the trial.14 min
- Drug Metabolism, Distribution and Metabolite IdentificationPhase I CYP450 oxidation and Phase II conjugation, volume of distribution and post-mortem redistribution, parent-drug to metabolite ratios that mark route and timing of intake, and the Indian autopsy interpretations that hinge on a benzoylecgonine or 6-MAM identification.16 min
- Food Poisoning: Bacterial and ChemicalSalmonella, Staphylococcus, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium botulinum on the bacterial side; arsenic, lead, pesticide residues, adulterants and toxic plant material on the chemical side, with how FSSAI labs and Indian state FSLs split the casework.14 min
- Plant Poisons of Medico-Legal Importance in IndiaThe Indian plant poison casebook: Datura, Abrus precatorius (jequirity), Cleistanthus collinus (Oduvanthalai), Strychnos nux-vomica, Cerbera odollam (yellow oleander), oleander, aconite and ricin, with the active alkaloids, signs, antidotes and analytical confirmation.15 min
- Animal and Venomous Poisons: Snakebite, Insect and MarineBig Four Indian snake bites (cobra, krait, Russell's viper, saw-scaled viper), scorpion and centipede envenomation, hymenoptera stings, marine toxins and the immunological and chromatographic methods used to confirm envenomation post-mortem.15 min