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The followings are the summary of the results observed by the author from the
statistical point of view on the disposition status of 9, 395 cases of unnatural
death through medico-legal autopsy up to the year of 1979 since the foundation
of the National Institute of Scientific Investigation in 1946. 1. The total number of autopsy performed for the unnatural deaths was 9, 395. Of these, 6, 211(66. 1°o) was the male case and 3, 184(33. 9%) female case.
2. Sudden natural death(death due to disease) record the highest number of 3, 127 cases, 33.3% of the total. Fewest was death by starvation with only 4 cases(0. 1%). Disease in the circulatory system reported the highest number of cases for sudden natural death.
3. Death due to injuries accounted for 2, 568 cases(20. 9%). Of these, skull fractures, brain damage and cerebral hemorrhage were the predominant case.
4. Death from poisoning reported 1, 96a cases(20. 9%). Of these, drug poisoning was the leading case with 1, 217.
5. Asphyxial death recorded 855 cases(g. 1%) of which 295 cases of drowning was most predominant.
6. Death from burning, cold and electric shock were the examples for death due to abnormal temperature.
7. Infanticide reported 32 cases(0.3%).
8. Cause of death unknown due to severe decomposition of body were 674 casest(7.2%).
9. As a whole, a notable characteristics of the Korean cases was that death due to skull fractures, brain damage and cerebral hemorrhage and death from drug poisoning reported the highest number of cases. Like other countries, disease of the circulato- ry system was the leading case for the sudden natural death.
10. Classification by type of death shows sudden natural death(33.3%), homicide(28.0%), death from injuries(16.1%), suicide(15. 4%), and others(7.2%), in respective order.
11. Poisoning from carbon monoxide was the leading case among the death from accident and injuries.
12. Drug was most commonly used for suicide.
13. Death due to violence on body was the predominant case for homicide.
14. In terms of age grouping, the highest number of suicide case occured in 21~30 age group while the number of male case being higher than the female case. 21~30 age group again reported the highest homicide case with male case being ahead of female case.
15. Summer registered the highest number of case for suicide and autumn for homicide, male case was ahead of female case.
16. Cyanide case was accounted for almost the half the total case reported for death from drug poisoning. The number of male case was slightly ahead of the female case.
17. The total number of autopsy during the 1970's showed an alarming 21 times increase over the 1950's.
18. Rate of increase of auitopsy is quite ahead of the the growth rate of population and GNP, and is about the same as the growth rate of GNP per Capita. |
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