Fatal dibenzepine poisonings

Fatal dibenzepine poisonings

hetween original data and those obtained from unknown individuals can conveniently be made only for a low number of cases. With a large number of iden...

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hetween original data and those obtained from unknown individuals can conveniently be made only for a low number of cases. With a large number of identifications a computerized system should be of advantage. The reliability of the information from photographs was investigated. Two registrations from the same material were compared, one of them representing ‘unknown individuals’, The computer should estimate the observed similarities and suggest a preferential list of possible identities. Presence and absence of teeth and amalgam fillings were suitable for computerization, whereas tooth-coloured fillings were less suitable (95% of the amalgam fillings but only 15% of the tooth-coloured were seen in intraoral photographs). The final establishment of identity should be made by direct comparison between the preferential list and the dental status of ‘unknowns’ in which case even other dental characteristics may be useful. An advantage is that no preparations other than photographs have to be made in advance. Farago, E. (Budapest, DATA

ABOUT

THE

Hungary)

POST-MORTEM

DIAGNOSIS

OF

SURVIVING

POISONED

CASES

The Author gives a brief survey of the changing character of the poisonous materials used in Hungary during the last five years. The importance of post-mortem diagnosis in cases of poisoning in which the victims have been hospitalised for a few days before death will be stressed. The most important points are the questions about diazepine derivatives, bipyridyl and phosphoric acid ester type pesticides. Farkas, J. (Budapest, STUDY AND

OF

THE

Hungary),

CORRELATION

CONSTELLATIVE

FACTORS

F. Pisztora and L. Kiss (Miskolc, BETWEEN IN

CONSTITUTIONAL

THE

PERPETRATION

Hungary)

FACULTIES OF

SEXUAL

CRIMES

The authors studied the correlation between constitutional faculties (such as psycho- and sociopathy, sexual psychopathy, accentuated personality traits, I.&., etc.) and constellative factors (such as chronic alcoholism, the influence of alcohol at the time of committing the crime, emotional and sexual deprivation, whether the crime was committed alone or in a group, etc.) for the background and circumstances of 54 sexual crimes. The main purpose of their study was to determine the circumstances which produce the most frequent and most likely dispositions for perpetration of the different types of sexual crimes where given constitutional factors exist and which are, to this extent, potentially criminogenie. For example, in 9 out of the 25 cases of rape, the crime was committed in a group and this was associated with debility and the influence of alcohol; those committing incest included fathers of large families whose married life was inharmonious, who were at the same time alcoholics and who directed their sexual interests towards their young daughters or elder female relatives who could be easily terrorized and possessed. Felby, S. and H. Christensen FATAL

DIBENZEPINE

Concentrations

(Copenhagen,

Denmark)

POISONINGS

of dibenzepine

and its metabolites

in blood and

125

tissue from fatal poisonings, where dibenzepine was considered to be the only or a contributory cause of death, will be presented. In addition to unchanged dibenzepine, three N-demethylated metabolites were identified in the material by thin-layer chromatography and by UV spectrophotometry. In cases in which death was caused by dibenzepine alone, or in combination with alcohol, the concentration of total dibenzepine (dibenzepine + metabolites) was 23 - 14’7 pg/g in the blood and 255 - 566 pg/g in the liver. Finkle,

B. S. (Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.)

GC-MS:

MARRIED

BLISS

OR

BREACH

OF

PROMISE?

During the past fifteen years gas chromatography has become the one indispensable tool in most forensic toxicology laboratories. Its power to separate the components of complex biological extracts, with exquisite sensitivity, and practical quantitative accuracy and precision were sufficient justification. A lack of qualitative specificity was the major shortcoming, but alleviation was achieved by extraordinarily innovative techniques such as chemical derivatization and design of selective detectors. However, some five years ago, after a long engagement with engineers, a remarkable marriage took place; GC to mass spectrometer. The MS endowed the partnership with enhanced sensitivity and quantitation, but above all, specificity and structural analysis. The honeymoon included spectacular success, e.g., in narcotics analysis, and some disappointments, e.g., the inadequacy of interface separator devices; but with offspring such as quadrupole mass filters, multiple ion monitoring, chemical ionization, interface free instruments using capillary columns, data systems; and a current pregnancy with an atmospheric pressure system, the marriage has apparently matured into a lasting union. What of operational applications in forensic science? Five years is sufficient to assess if there has been a breach of scientific promise and this paper will introduce a debate that should ensure avoidance of the sevenyear itch for new but perhaps less rewarding alternatives. Finnigan, R. E., J. B. Knight, vale, Calif., U.S.A.) APPLICATION

OF

GC/MS

DATA

G. Vander Velde and R. S. Skinner (SunnySYSTEM

TO

FORENSIC

TOXICOLOGY

The author will describe the techniques of EI and CI quantitative mass fragmentography and their application to forensic toxicology problems. Three typical applications which will be described are as follows: Quantitative measurement of propoxyphene and its metabolites in human plasma by EI and CI mass fragmentography using the quadrupole GC/MS system. A comparison of the advantages of EI and CI mass fragmentography will be presented. The use of solid probe CI-MS and GC-CI-MS in the quantitation of drugs in biological fluids: e.g., the determination of tolbutamide and its metabolites in human plasma will be presented. Techniques for precise measurement of isotope ratios in biological specimens which contain stable isotope-labelled standards using quantitative mass fragmentography will be described.