History of Legal Medicine

Meaning of Legal Medicine

Branch of medicine which deals

with application of medical
knowledge to the purpose of
law and in the administration of
justice
It is the application of basic and
clinical, medical and

In Worldwide Scale

Imhotep (2980 B.C.)

The earliest recorded medicolegal expert who was the chief

physician and architect of King
Zoser of the 3rd Dynasty of Egpt
and the builder of the first

In Worldwide Scale

Code of Hammurabi

The oldest code of law (2200

B.C.) included legislation the
following:
Adultery

In Worldwide Scale

Hippocrates (460 355

B.C.)
Discussed in Greece the lethality
of wounds and Aristotle (384
322 B.C.) fixed the animation of
retus at the 40th day after
conception.

In Worldwide Scale

Antistuis

The first police surgeon or

forensic pathologist. He
performed the autopsy after Julius
Caesar (100 44 B.C.) was
murdered.

In Worldwide Scale

Justinian (483 565 B.C.)

Quoted in his digest Physician is

not an ordinary witness and that a
physician gives judgment rather
than testimony.

In Worldwide Scale

1532 Constituto
Criminals Carolina
First textbook was included during
the reign of Emperor Charles V in
Germany.

In Worldwide Scale

Pope Innocent III (1209)

He issued an edict providing for

the appointment of doctors to the
courts for the determination of
the nature of wounds.

In Worldwide Scale

Pope Gregory IX (1234)

Preparation of Nova Compilatio

Decretalium which concerns
medical evidence, marriage,
nullity, impotence, delivery,
caesarian section, legitimacy,

In Worldwide Scale

Pope John XXII (14th

century)
Expressed the need of experts in
the ecclesiastical courts, in the
diagnosis of leprosy and many
medico-legal documents.

In Worldwide Scale

His Yuan Lu (instructions

to coroner)

Published the five volume book

dealing with inquest, criminal
abortion, infanticide, signs of
death, assault, suicide, hanging,
strangling, drowning, burning,

In Worldwide Scale

Ambroise Pare (1575)

He considered legal medicine as a

separate discipline and discussed
in his book abortion, infanticide,
death by lightning, hanging,

In Worldwide Scale

Paulus Zacchias (1584 1659)

A papal physician who is regarded

as the father of forensic
medicine. He published
Questiones Medico-legales which
dealt with the legal aspects of

In Worldwide Scale

Severic Pineau (1598)

A book published in Paris a work

on virginity and defloration,
confirming the existence of the
hymen and that it may not
rupture during sexual intercourse.

In Worldwide Scale

Orpilia (1787 - 1853)

He introduced the chemical

methods in toxicology. In his
Traite des Poison, he mentioned
mineral, vegetable and animal

In The Philippines

Manual de Medicina
Domestica (1858)

The first medical textbook printed

including pertinent instructions
related to medico-legal practice
by Spanish physician, Dr. Rafael
Genard y Mas, Chief Army

In Worldwide Scale

School of Medicine of the Real

y Pontifica Universidad de
Santo Tomas (1871)
Teaching of legal medicine
included as an academic subject.

In The Philippines

Royal Decree No. 188 of

the King of Spain (March
31, 1876)
The position of Medico Titulares
was created and made in charge
of public sanitation and at the
same time medico-legal aid in the
administration of justice.

In The Philippines

1894 rules regulating the

services of those Medico
Titular y Forences was
published.
1895 medico-legal
laboratory wsa established in

In The Philippines

1901 Philippine Commission

created the provincial, insular and
municipal Board of Health (Act
Nos. 157, 307 and 308) in the
Philippines. The Philippine
Legislature maintained the pre-

In The Philippines

1919 University of the

Philippines created the
Department of Legal Medicine
and Ethics and Dr. Sixto delos
Angelos as the chief.
January 10, 1922 the head of

In The Philippines

March 10, 1922 the Philippine

Legislature enacted Act. No. 1043
which became incorporated in the
Administrative Code as Section
2465 and provided that the
Department of Legal Medicine,

In The Philippines

March 3, 1939 - The

Department of Legal Medicine of
the College of Medicine, UP was
abolished and its function were
transferred to the Medico-Legal
section of the Division of

In The Philippines

June 28, 1945 the Division of

Investigation, under the DOJ was
reactivated.
June 19, 1947 Republic Act
157 creating the Bureau of
Investigation was passed.

In The Philippines

Cirujano Ministrante may perfrom

medico-legal work in remote
places in the absence of
registered physician.
RA 1982 (June 15, 1954)
creation of health unit to each

In The Philippines

PD 856 (Sec. 95) (December

23, 1975)
Person authorized to perform
autopsies.

Health Officers
Medical Officers of law
enforcement agencies

In The Philippines

PD 856 (Sec. 95) (December

23, 1975)
Autopsies shall be performed in
the following cases:

Whenever required by special laws

Upon order of a competent court,
a mayor and a provincial or city