Lacerations: definition and associated injury observations
THE CONTEXT
Lacerations are blunt-force tears or splits involving skin, mucous membranes, muscle or internal organs.
Definition and mechanism
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Blunt force applied over a broad area crushes or stretches tissues beyond their elastic limits, producing tears or splits.
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Lacerations are also called tears or ruptures.
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Tangential forces or glancing blows may tear large tissue flaps and expose the underlying skull.
Observations on bruises
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Self-inflicted bruises occur in accessible areas, usually on the head; the passage particularly associates them with individuals described as hysterical or insane.
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Homicidal bruises may occur anywhere on the body.
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The passage states that an injury caused by a fist or weapon cannot be differentiated from one caused by a fall.