THE HISTORY OF THE POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS IN HUNGARY

Abstract

Any death must be determined by a post mortem. One element of this is to determine that death has occurred, a decision which can be made by a doctor and by a paramedic. A further element of the post mortem is to determine the mode and cause of death. In terms of the mode of death, we distinguish between natural and non-natural deaths. The cause of death can either be declared immediately during the post mortem (run over by a train, stabbing injury, firearms injury, body severely damaged) or only after an autopsy has been carried out. It follows from the foregoing that in most cases the post mortem can only reveal the mode of death, i.e. we can distinguish between deaths caused naturally and unnaturally, in which case an official procedure is required to close the case. However, in the case of deaths caused by natural diseases, the necessary steps can be taken without the involvement of the authorities. A post mortem is also important in the sense that we can deduce a possible crime from external injuries, wounds, and damage to the clothing worn by the deceased, so that the authority can be provided with a fresh trail in their attempts to solve the case. At the end of the 19th century in Hungary, a law incorporating a completely new approach to a public health was introduced, which created regulations of a European standard, and at the same time raised the post mortem to a completely new, European level.