Dr.Ishibashi's Article -
Medico-legal observations of judicially hanged persons


Excerpt from:

ISHIBASHI B. Gerichtlich-medizinische Untersuchungen uber die Leichname der Hingerichteten (I). Archiv Fur Gerichtliche Medizin Und Kriminologie (Japanese) 1935;9: 540-547
ISHIBASHI B. Gerichtlich-medizinische Untersuchungen uber die Leichname der Hingerichteten (II). Archiv Fur Gerichtliche Medizin Und Kriminologie (Japanese) 1935;9: 661-666


Abstract of the Introduction in Dr.Ishibashi's Original Articles

Our laboratory collected more than twenty cadavers of judicially hanged persons and examined them by autopsy. Because of a great fire in 1926, most of the preserved organs and records of autopsy findings were lost. However I managed to find out complete records of 11cases which had a narrow escape from the disaster and preserved organs of 3 other cases, though their records were lost, for which we were able to examine the lesions in the necks. I hereby report my observations from medico-legal perspective.
Note that each cadaver was injected with preservative into the femoral artery and was conveyed by train from Nagasaki prison, where the executions were carried out, to the forensic pathology laboratory in the Medical Department of Kyushu Imperial University located in Fukuoka City.


The Autopsy Findings in Dr.Ishibashi's Original Articles


case1

Yasukichi OKUDA, a 46-year-old male. He was hanged on 17 April in 1917 (Translator’s note: the original description of ‘16 April’ is corrected in the Official Gazette). An autopsy was performed 2 days later.
The strongly-built and well-nourished body measured 179.0 cm in height and weighed 58.3 kg. The color of the skin was, on the whole, a dirty yellowish-brown. Light-purplish-brown postmortem hypostasis was observed on the scapular region of the back. Rigor mortis developed intensely throughout the body.
The face was purplish-blue in color. The palpebral conjunctivae were pale without petechiae. Both pupils were round and dilated. They were almost the same size. The corneas were moderately cloudy. A dark-red and bloody fluid exuded from both nostrils. The mucosa of the lip was dirty dark- purplish-blue in color. The tip of the tongue was caught between the teeth. A blood-tinged fluid escaped from the mouth. No foreign materials were observed in both external acoustic meatus.
On the neck was found a dark-reddish-brown abrasion about the size of the fingernail of one’s little finger. It was situated 6.0 cm posteroinferior to the left ear lobe and 4.5 cm anteroinferior to the left mastoid process. From the abrasion originated a dark-reddish-brown and band-like abrasion which was 0.4 cm wide and was hard to the touch (a ligature mark). It descended forward, traversed above the laryngeal prominence, ascended backward through the right side of the neck, and reached 4.0 cm directly below the right mastoid process. On the area immediately above the laryngeal prominence (5.0 cm wide and 1.2 cm long), through which the above ligature mark ran, there were 4 lacerations ranging in length from 0.2 cm to 0.7 cm. They reached the subcutaneous tissue.
The heart was approximately twice as large as the deceased’s fist. No petechiae were detected under the pericardium. The left heart contained about 30.0 ml of dark-red blood, and the right 17.0 ml. At the removal of the heart, about 90.0 ml of blood of a similar nature escaped from the great vessels.
The lungs were bulky. Under pressure, a frothy and bloody fluid escaped from the cut surfaces, and crepitation was audible.
All the abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained great quantities of half-digested chyme consisting chiefly of boiled rice and barley mixed with a small amount of seaweed.
Dark-red blood was present in the superior sagittal, the inferior sagittal, and the transverse sinuses.

case2

Tatoich NODA, a 32-year-old male, was hanged on 17 April 1917. An autopsy was performed 3 days later.
The body was medium-sized and a little more than moderately nourished. It measured 158.7 cm in height and weighed 57.3kg. The skin was, on the whole, pale in color. On the back, light-purplish-red postmortem hypostasis was observed. A moderate grade of rigor mortis developed throughout the body.
The face was, on the whole, light-purplish-red. The left cheek was applanated and an almost fingertip-sized brown spot with a leathery touch was observed on the skin over the left zygomatic arch. The left palpebral conjunctiva was slightly congested and the right a little more than moderately congested. Petechiae were absent. The corneas were slightly cloudy. The pupils were moderately dilated; the right was a little larger than the left. A dark-red and bloody fluid exuded from the right nostril when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose. The region around the nostrils was also stained with a similar fluid. The labial mucosa was purplish-red in color. The dental arch was normal. The tip of the tongue was caught between the teeth. Neither injury nor abnormal changes were observed in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
On the neck, a band-like ligature mark 0.8cm wide was observed. It was situated 1.0cm above the laryngeal prominence. It ran upward on both sides in the posterior direction. The left end could be traced up to the back hairline 4.0cm posteroinferior to the left mastoid process. The right disappeared 3.5cm posteroinferior to the right mastoid process. The mark was yellowish-brown in color and leathery. On the front and the left side of the neck, it was distinct and was accompanied by abrasions. On the right side of the neck, it was slightly unclear and only a shallow depression of the skin was observed. On the front of the neck, a laceration 5.5 cm long and 0.2cm wide almost paralleled 1.0cm superior to the mark was observed. It was dark-red in color, dried, and hard to the touch.
The inside surface of the heart sac was smooth without petechiae. The heart was a little larger than the deceased’s fist and contained dark-red blood. When the heart was cut out, blood in a similar condition escaped from the great vessels. On the front surface of the epicardium of the right ventricle close to the left, 3 millet-sized petechiae were observed. Left inferior to them, there were 13 subserous petechiae of which the sizes ranged from a pinpoint to a grain of rice; also on the back surface, 5 petechiae with same appearance were observed along the coronary sulcus.
The lungs. On the center of the lateral surface of the lower lobe of the left lung, a large number of miliary and dark-purplish-red petechiae were observed. Also on the front and back surface of the lower lobe of the right lung, a lot of subserous petechiae were disseminated.
The neck organs. The tongue was gray in color with tooth marks. The mucosa of the pharynx and the esophagus was glossy and light-red in color. The mucosa of the trachea was also glossy and without abnormal findings.
All the abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained 500.0ml of barely-digested boiled rice and barley mixed with many pieces of azuki beans.

case3

Umeji TERUYAMA, a 27-year-old male, was hanged on 30 April 1917. An autopsy was performed the next day.
The moderately-build and well-nourished body measured 163.1cm in height and weighed 59.9kg. The skin was, on the whole, dirty light-brownish-pale in color. The back showed dark-purplish-brown postmortem hypostasis. A moderate grade of rigor mortis developed throughout the body.
The face was dark-purplish-red in color. The palpebral conjunctivae were dirty dark-purplish-red in color and slightly congested. No petechiae were observed. The corneas were little cloudy. The left and right pupils were both dilated. The right was slightly elliptic and the left almost round. A dark-red and bloody fluid exuded from the right nostril when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose. The labial mucosa was purplish-red in color. The tip of the tongue protruded between the teeth. On the right side of the apex linguae close to the corner of the mouth, a dark-reddish-purple and nail-matrix-sized spot (a submucosal hemorrhage) with tooth marks was observed. Neither injury nor abnormal changes were noted in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
The neck. On the front of the neck, a ligature mark about 1.0cm wide and 22.5cm long was situated just above the laryngeal prominence. Its left end reached 5.0cm directly inferior to the left mastoid process. It was yellowish-brown in color and had a leathery touch.
The size of the heart was about one and a half times as large as the deceased’s fist. The left heart contained 50.0ml of dark-red blood with a few chicken-fat clots, and the right about 30.0ml. When the heart was cut out, about 165.0ml of blood in a similar condition escaped from the great vessels.
The lungs. The entire left pleura had fibrous adhesion. In the left lung, cavities lined with caseous material and many foci of calcification ranging in size from a finger tip to a soybean were observed. The left lung was slightly congested, and the right less.
All the abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained about 932.0 ml of undigested boiled rice and barley.
The neck organs were extracted en masse with their continuity being kept intact; then they were examined. At the level of the upper part of the thyroid cartilage, they were completely torn off horizontally together with muscles and ligaments, thereby forming a cavity measuring 9.5cm wide and 5.0cm high. The larynx was destroyed. The greater horns of the hyoid bone and the superior horns of the thyroid cartilage both showed fractures at the roots. At the same level as the above fractures, 3 tears on the intima of the left carotid artery and 5 tears on that of the right were observed, which ran almost horizontally, ranging from 0.5 to 0.9cm in length. There was an egg-sized hemorrhage in the retropharyngeal connective tissue.

case4

Tomoichi MATSUBARA, a 33-year-old male, was hanged on 30 April in 1917. An autopsy was performed 3 days later.
The body was a little smaller than medium-sized and not very well nourished. It measured 150.0cm in height and weighed 44.4kg. The color of the skin was, on the whole, a dirty dark-purplish-brown. On the back, light-purplish-red postmortem hypostasis was observed. A moderate grade of rigor mortis developed throughout the body.
The face was dirty purplish-brown in color. The palpebral conjunctivae were pale without petechiae. The corneas were moderately cloudy. The sizes of the pupils were also moderate. No abnormal fluid exuded from the nostrils. The tip of the tongue was observed behind the teeth. Neither injury nor abnormal changes were observed in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
On the neck, a ligature mark measuring 0.5cm wide was observed; it was yellowish-brown in color with parts that were dark-purplish-red, and the mark had a parchment-like appearance. It started 4.5cm below the left mastoid process, traversed just above the laryngeal prominence on the front of the neck, and reached 3.0 cm inferior and slightly posterior to the right mastoid process.
The size of the heart was slightly larger than the size of the deceased’s fist. The left heart contained about 20.0ml of dark-red blood with a few chicken-fat clots, and the right about 90.0 ml. When the heart was cut out, about 120.0ml of blood in a similar condition escaped from the great vessels.
The external surfaces of both lungs were dark-purplish-red in color. The upper lobes were slightly collapsed, while the lower somewhat bulky. The cut surfaces were similar in color to the external one. A dark-red, frothy and bloody fluid exuded from the cut surfaces under pressure.
The stomach contained 250.0ml of undigested boiled rice and barley which was brownish-green in color.

case5

Senta MUTA, a 32-year-old male, was hanged on 2 June in 1917. An autopsy was performed 2 days later.
The body was a little smaller than medium-sized and not very well nourished. It measured 150.6cm in height and weighed 49.0kg. The skin was, on the whole, pale in color. On the back, purplish-red postmortem hypostasis was observed. A moderate grade of rigor mortis developed throughout the body.
The face was dirty light-brown in color. Both palpebral conjunctivae were pale without petechiae. The corneas were moderately cloudy. Both pupils were slightly dilated and the same in shape and size. No abnormal fluid exuded from the nostrils when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose. The labial mucosa was dark-purplish-red in color. The tip of the tongue protruded between the dental arches. There was no foreign material in the mouth. Neither injury nor abnormal changes were observed in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
On the neck, a ligature mark measuring 0.4cm wide ran diagonally on both sides from just above the laryngeal prominence in the posterosuperior direction. It was, on the whole, yellowish-brown in color and had a leathery touch. It was most pronounced and dark-red in color on the right side of the neck.
The size of the heart was slightly larger than the deceased’s fist. The left heart contained about 15.0ml of dark-red blood, and the right about 45.0ml. When the heart was cut out, about 30.0ml of blood in a similar condition escaped. No petechiae were detected under the epicardium.
The lungs. A fist-sized adhesion was noted on the left pleura, and the entire right pleura adhered. Both lungs were congested, in which were observed foci of caseation ranging in size from a pea to a 5-rin copper coin (translator’s note: about 1.9 cm in diameter).
The abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained about 400.0 ml of half-digested boiled rice and barley.

case6

Yukijiro HAMAZAKI, a 45-year-old male, was hanged on 29 June in 1917. An autopsy was performed the next day.
The body was a little smaller than medium-sized and moderately-nourished. It measured 152.0cm in height and weighed 43.5kg. The color of the skin was, on the whole, a dirty dark-brownish- gray. On the back, light-purplish-red livor mortis was observed. An advanced grade of rigor mortis developed throughout the body.
The face was dirty light-brown in color. Both palpebral conjunctivae were pale without petechiae. The bulbar conjunctivae were a little more than moderately edematous. The corneas were notably cloudy. The pupils were markedly dilated and the left was more mydriatic than the right. A dark-brown and blood-tinged fluid escaped from the nostrils when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose. The labial mucosa was purplish-blue in color. The tip of the tongue was caught between the dental arches. Neither injury nor abnormal changes were observed in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
On the neck region, a ligature mark measuring about 3.0cm wide ran diagonally on both sides from just above the laryngeal prominence in the posterosuperior direction. On the left side, it reached 5.0cm anteroinferior to the left mastoid process. On the right, it ended 5.5cm almost directly below the right mastoid process. The mark was dark-reddish-brown in color and had a leathery touch.
The size of the heart was approximately one and a half times as large as the size of the deceased’s fist. The left heart contained about 20.0ml of dark-red blood mixed with a few soft clots, and the right about 30.0ml. When the heart was cut out, about 150.0ml of blood in a similar condition escaped from the great vessels. No petechiae were noted under the epicardium.
The lungs. The external surface of the left was dark-brown in color, and the right was dark-red. The color of the cut surfaces of each lung was similar to that of the external one, respectively. Under pressure, a dark-red, frothy and blood-like fluid exuded from the cut surfaces.
The abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained undigested boiled rice and barley and a small amount of reddish-brown and viscous fluid.

case7

Teisuke FURUKAWA, a 27-year-old male, was hanged on 18 August 1917. An autopsy was performed the next day.
The moderately-built and poorly-nourished body measured 164.0cm in height and weighed 51.0kg. The skin was, on the whole, pale in color. On the back, especially on the scapular region, purplish-red postmortem hypostasis was observed. A moderate grade of rigor mortis developed throughout the body.
The face was dirty light-purplish-brown in color. The left upper palpebral conjunctiva was pale in color, and the left lower and the right palpebral conjunctivae were purplish-red in color. No petechiae were found. The corneas were slightly cloudy. The pupils were round and slightly dilated. They were the same size. When pressure was applied to the wing of the nose, a dirty dark-red and frothy fluid escaped from the nostrils. The labial mucosa was dirty purplish-brown in color without petechia. The tip of the tongue was observed behind the teeth. Neither injury nor abnormal changes were observed in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
On the neck, there were two dark-red ligature marks with parchment-like appearances. The upper mark started from the hairline 4.5cm posteroinferior to the left mastoid process, traversed 0.7cm above the laryngeal prominence, and could be traced up to a point 7.0cm anterior to the right mastoid process. The lower mark encircled the neck completely and ran 6.0cm directly below the external occipital protuberance on the back of the neck.
On the scapular region of the back, there were many petechiae ranging in size from a millet seed to a hemp seed.
The size of the heart was approximately one and a half times the size of the deceased’s fist. It contained about 150.0ml of dark-red blood without clots. When the heart was cut out, almost no blood escaped from the great vessels. No petechiae were noted under the epicardium.
The lungs. The external surfaces of both lungs were purplish-red in color with plenty of miliary tubercles. The color of the cut surfaces was similar to that of the external one. Both lungs were congested. Tubercles with similar appearance to the ones mentioned above were observed everywhere on the cut surfaces.
The neck organs were extracted en masse with their continuity being kept intact; then they were examined. The neck organs underlying the skin were damaged severely. The sternohyoid muscles, the thyrohyoid muscles, the median thyrohyoid ligament, etc were completely severed horizontally. The larynx was also torn at the level of the lower part of the epiglottis into upper and lower pieces, with the result forming a cavity measuring 6.0cm wide and 2.5cm high. The top of the thyroid cartilage was exposed. The superior horns of the thyroid cartilage and the greater horns of the hyoid bone both showed fractures at the roots with hemorrhages in the surrounding tissues. At the same level as the above-mentioned fractures, there were several transverse lacerations ranging in length from 0.2cm to 0.5cm on the intima of both carotid arteries. A pigeon-egg-sized internal hemorrhage was observed in the retropharyngeal connective tissue.
The stomach contained about 500.0 ml of dirty brown and chyme-like material.
The veins of the pia and dura mater were congested.

case8

Rikizou SAKUMA, a 61-year-old male, was hanged on 12 November in 1917. An autopsy was performed the following day.
The medium-sized and moderately-nourished body measured 153.2 cm in height and weighed 47.9 kg. The skin was, on the whole, pale in color. On the back, purplish-brown postmortem hypostasis was observed. Rigor mortis developed intensely throughout the body.
The face was reddish-brown in color. The palpebral conjunctivae were pale in color. Three pinpoint-sized hemorrhages were noted on the upper palpebral conjunctiva near the lateral angle of the right eye. The corneas were moderately cloudy. The pupils were moderately dilated. Both of them were almost round and the same size. A dark-red and bloody fluid exuded from the right nostril when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose. There were no teeth in the tooth sockets. The tip of the tongue was caught between both lips. There was no abnormal change in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
On the neck, a ligature mark was observed. It started 4.0 cm inferior and slightly posterior to the left mastoid process, traversed diagonally in the anteroinferior direction, and passed 2.0 cm directly above the laryngeal prominence. Then it took an upward course in the posterior direction, ran through the right side of the neck, and could be traced up to a point 4.0 cm directly below the right mastoid process. On the front of the neck, the mark measured about 1.8 cm in width and was slightly depressed. It was brown in color and had a leathery touch. Several pea-sized abrasions were noted near the left end of the mark.
On the back, a lot of petechiae ranging in size from a millet seed to a grain of rice were observed.
The size of the heart was approximately twice as large as the deceased’s fist. The coronary arteries were congested. No petechiae were detected. The left heart and the right heart each contained about 20.0 ml of dark-red blood and soft clots. When the heart was cut out, about 50.0 ml of blood in a similar condition escaped from the great vessels.
The lungs. The left lung. The upper part of the back of the lower lobe had fibrous adhesions and was rough in texture. The rest of the surface was smooth and dark-purplish-reddish-brown in color. On the medial surface, several millet-sized petechiae were observed. The cut surfaces were dark-reddish-brown in color. The left lung was congested. The right lung. The appearance was almost similar to the left except that several petechiae were observed on the costal surface of the lower lobe.
The neck organs were extracted en masse with their continuity being kept intact; then they were examined. The tongue was pale in color and was hard to the touch. The neck organs were severely damaged under the skin. The sternohyoid muscles, the omohyoid muscles, the thyrohyoid muscles, the median thyrohyoid ligament, etc. were completely torn horizontally. No fractures were detected in the laryngeal cartilages. Both greater horns of the hyoid bone were broken at the roots. The larynx was destroyed at the lower part of the epiglottis. As a result, a cavity 6.5 cm wide, 3.0 cm high, and 4.0 cm deep was formed. A massive hemorrhage was observed in the tissue surrounding the cavity.
All the abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained a great amount of dirty brown and undigested boiled rice and barley (about the size of a child’s head) mixed with pieces of vegetables.
A large amount of dark-red blood with soft clots was contained in the superior sagittal, inferior sagittal, and the transverse sinuses. The veins of the dura mata were congested.

case9

Yasaburo SHIBATA, a 53-year-old male, was hanged on 19 December in 1917 (translator’s note: the original description of ‘18 December’ is corrected in the Official Gazette). An autopsy was performed the following day. The medium-sized and moderately-nourished body measured 158.6 cm in height and weighed 45.1 kg. The skin was, on the whole, pale in color. Light-purplish-red postmortem hypostasis was faintly observed on the back. Rigor mortis developed intensely throughout the body.
The face was light-purplish-red in color. The lower palpebral conjunctivae of both eyes were purplish-brown. The upper were pale in color at the central areas and purplish-brown in color near the medial and lateral angles of the eyes. No petechiae were observed. The corneas were moderately cloudy. The pupils were moderately dilated. The diameter of the left measured 0.5 cm and that of the right 0.6 cm. Both of them were almost round. A dirty light-brown and washy fluid exuded from the right nostril when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose, while no abnormal fluid escaped from the left nostril. A similar fluid exuded from the mouth when the posture of the body was changed. The tip of the tongue was caught between the teeth. Tooth marks were observed on the tongue.
A yellowish-brown and leathery ligature mark started 4.0 cm inferior and slightly posterior to the left mastoid process. It traversed just above the laryngeal prominence and ended 8.5 cm anteroinferior to the right mastoid process. The areas on the upper and lower margins of the ligature mark were purplish-red in color; the discoloration was clearest on the front of the neck. On the right lateral region of the neck, an irregularly square abrasion measuring 1.5 cm long and 1.0 cm wide was observed 4.0 cm inferior and slightly posterior to the right mastoid process. Another abrasion with similar appearance was situated 1.0 cm superior and slightly posterior to the mark, measuring about 1.0 cm in diameter. Both abrasions were reddish-brown in color. They were dried and hard to the touch. The nape was swollen and firm.
The heart was about 2 times as large as the deceased’s fist. The coronary arteries were remarkably congested. No petechiae were detected under the pericardium. The left heart contained about 90.0 ml of dark-red blood with soft clots, and the right about 60.0 ml. When the heart was cut out, about 120.0 ml of blood with a similar nature escaped from the great vessels. The endocardium was smooth and slightly congested.
The lungs. The left lung. The external surface was smooth and light-grayish-purplish-red in color, except the lower part of the upper lobe, which had a fibrous adhesion (about the size of a child’s fist). In all, 23 miliary petechiae were present: 4 on the ,medial surface of the upper lobe, 6 on the front and costal surface of the lower lobe, and 13 near the inferior margin. The cut surfaces were similar in color to the external one. The left lung was congested. Frothy blood exuded when pressure was applied to the cut surfaces. The right lung. The medial surface of the upper and middle lobes had adhesions ranging in size from a 5-sen white silver coin (translator’s note: about 2.1 cm in diameter) to a 1-sen copper one (translator’s note: about 2.8 cm in diameter) without petechiae. The cut surfaces were similar in color to the external one. The right lung was congested, especially in the lower lobe. The lobe was somewhat edematous.
The neck organs. The tongue was pale in color and had tooth marks on it. The neck organs were almost torn off and destroyed at the level of the upper portion of the thyroid cartilage except for the subcutis. The sternohyoid muscles, the omohyoid muscles, the thyrohyoid muscles, the median thyrohyoid ligament, etc. were torn horizontally, and the thyroid cartilage was vertically broken from the superior thyroid notch to the lower portion, with the result that a cavity measuring 6.5 cm wide, 2.5 cm long, and 4.0 cm deep was produced. There was an about tonsil-sized hemorrhage in the upper part of each sternocleidomastoid muscle. An about fist-sized hemorrhage was observed in the retropharyngeal connective tissue.
All the abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained a large amount of undigested boiled rice and barley (about the size of a child’s head). The mucosa of the stomach was smooth and congested. A lot of petechiae, ranging in size from a pinpoint to a millet seed, were observed on an area (about the size of a child’s fist ) along the greater curvature. The veins beneath the pia mater were congested.

case10

ZHOU Que, a 36-year-old male, was hanged on 29 January in 1918. An autopsy was performed the following day.
The medium-sized and moderately-nourished body measured 171.6 cm in height and weighed 52.7 kg. The skin was, on the whole, pale in color. Light-purplish-brown postmortem hypostasis was observed on the back. Rigor mortis developed intensely throughout the body.
The face was purplish-red in color. Both palpebral conjunctivae were reddish-brown in color and congested. Petechiae were absent. The corneas were moderately cloudy. The pupils were round. The left was moderately dilated and the right slightly dilated. A dark-red and bloody fluid exuded from the left nostril when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose, while no abnormal fluid escaped from the right nostril. The labial mucosa was grayish-brown in color. The tip of the tongue was behind the teeth. Neither injury nor abnormal changes were observed in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus.
Two ligature marks were observed on the neck. The upper one started 2.0 cm directly below the left mastoid process, traversed just above the laryngeal prominence and ended 3.0 cm directly below the right mastoid process. The lower mark encircled the neck completely. It was indistinct at the back of the neck , but became clearer as it ran through the lateral regions of the neck. Both two marks were yellowish-brown in color and had a leathery appearance. They joined at the front of the neck. Furthermore, on the front of the neck, above and along the two marks was noted a reddish-brown and dried abrasion measuring 0.6 cm in width. It started 4.0 cm inferior and slightly anterior to the left mastoid process and traversed 2.5 cm directly above the laryngeal prominence through the front of the neck, reaching 1.6 cm inferior and slightly anterior to the right angle of the mandible. On the right side of the neck, five abrasions were noted above the upper mark. They were dark-red in color and dried, ranging in size from a pinto bean to a horse bean.
The heart was as large as the deceased’s fist. Although the vessels under the pericardium were a little more than moderately congested, no petechiae were detected. The left heart contained about 60.0 ml of dark-red blood with a few soft clots and the right 50.0 ml. At the removal of the heart, blood of a similar nature escaped from the great vessels.
The lungs. Fibrous adhesions were observed on the surfaces of both lungs. The external surfaces were grayish-brown in color, while the cut surfaces were reddish-brown. A large amount of frothy and dark-red blood escaped under pressure. The lungs were congested and the grade of aeration was decreased.
The neck organs. At the level of the ligature mark, a massive hemorrhage was observed in the tissues surrounding the neck organs, which were dark-red in color. The neck organs were almost torn off horizontally at the level of the upper part of the thyroid cartilage. At the same level, a vertical tear 0.4 cm long was present in the wall of the left carotid artery. The body of the second cervical vertebra was fractured.
The abdominal organs were congested. The stomach contained about 1600.0 ml of dirty yellowish-green and half-digested boiled rice and barley mixed with a small number of sweet potato pieces.
The subcutaneous tissues of the head were congested. Dark-red blood was present in the superior sagittal, inferior sagittal, and transverse sinuses. The veins of the pia and dura mater were markedly congested.

case11

Ikuma UENO, a-42-year-old male, was hanged on 27 May 1919. An autopsy was performed the following day.
The medium-sized and well-nourished body measured 153.0 cm in height and weighed 51.7 kg. The color of the skin was, on the whole, a dirty light-brown. Postmortem hypostasis was notable on the back and on the posterior surfaces of both legs. Rigor mortis developed intensely throughout the body.
The face was purplish-brown in color. The palpebral and bulbar conjunctivae were reddish-brown in color without petechiae. The corneas were slightly cloudy. The pupils were moderately dilated and the same shape and size. A dirty reddish-brown fluid flowed out when pressure was applied to the wing of the nose. The labial mucosa was purplish-brown in color. The oral mucosa was grayish-white in color. A dirty reddish-brown fluid flowed out from the mouth. The tip of the tongue protruded between the lips. No abnormal changes were observed in the auricles or in both external acoustic meatus..
On the neck, a ligature mark was observed. It started from about 2.0 cm below the laryngeal prominence, ran diagonally on both sides in the posterosuperior direction, and ended bilaterally 4.0 cm posteroinferior to each side of the mastoid process. It measured about 2.0 cm wide, was dark-reddish-brown in color, and had a leathery touch.
The heart was approximately one and a half times as large as the deceased’s fist. The surface of the pericardium was smooth. On the upper wall of the left ventricle, a hemorrhage about the size of an azuki bean was detected under the pericardium. The left heart contained about 70.0 ml of dark-red fluid with very small clots, and the right about 110.0 ml. When the heart was removed, about 70.0 ml of blood in a similar condition escaped from the great vessels.
The lungs. The external surface of the left lung was dark-purplish-red in color and smooth. No petechia was detected. The cut surfaces of the left lung were similar in color to the external one, from which a considerable amount of dark-red and frothy fluid exuded under pressure. The external surface of the right lung was covered with fibrous membrane and light-purplish-red in color. Other findings of the right lung were similar to the left.
The stomach contained about 700.0 ml of boiled rice and barley mixed with beans and greens.
The neck organs. The esophagus was filled with half-digested rice, barley, beans, and vegetables. From 1.5cm to 7.0cm below the arytenoid cartilage, the mucosa of the esophagus was dirty purplish-red in color (a submucosal hemorrhage). At the center of the hemorrhage, a mucosa 2.0cm wide was severed and abraded. Food residue the same as mentioned was found in the upper part of the trachea. The tracheal cartilage 2.5cm below the thyroid cartilage was torn off. At the same level, transverse lacerations were observed on the intima of the bilateral carotid arteries. And at the level corresponding to those injuries, both sternocleidomastoid muscles were also severed and a surrounding hemorrhage was observed.
The veins of the pia mater were congested.

case12

Tokuichi TANAKA, a 26-year-old male, was hanged on 11 March in 1918. (Translator’s note: the original description of ‘10 March’ was corrected in the Official Gazette). The autopsy record was lost in the fire (1926) mentioned above. The preserved neck organs were examined. Fourteen pairs of tooth marks were observed along the margin of the tongue. The neck organs underlying the skin were damaged severely. The sternohyoid muscles, omohyoid muscles, thyrohyoid muscles, and the median thyrohyoid ligament, etc. were all torn horizontally. The left greater horn of the hyoid bone and the left superior horn of the thyroid cartilage were fractured at the roots. The right greater horn of the hyoid bone and the right superior horn of thyroid cartilage showed fractures in the central part. The body of the thyroid cartilage was broken vertically at the center. The mucosa of the pharynx and the larynx were severed below the epiglottis, thereby producing a large cavity. The surrounding color was a dark-red because of an intra-tissue hemorrhage. On the intima of the left carotid artery, a horizontal tear measuring 0.7 cm long was observed 1.5 cm below the bifurcation of the artery.

case13

Kinjiro SUEUMI, a 44-year-old male, was hanged on 10 September in 1918. The autopsy record was lost in the fire (1926) mentioned above. The preserved neck organs were examined. Six tooth marks were observed from the center to the right of the tongue along its margin. The neck organs were separated just above the thyroid cartilage into upper and lower pieces, thereby producing a large cavity. The greater horns of the hyoid bone and the superior horns of the thyroid cartilage both were fractured at the roots. The superior thyroid notch was crushed to approximately the size of one’s finger tip. The carotid arteries were bilaterally torn off 1.3 cm below their bifurcations. Because the upper ends of the arteries were pulled upwards, they were about 2.0 cm apart from the lower. At the level corresponding to the carotid tear, both sternocleidomastoid muscles were also severed horizontally.

case14

A person was hanged. The rest of the record was lost completely in the fire (1926) mentioned above. The preserved neck organs were examined. On the superior surface of the tongue, 12 tooth marks were observed in an arched line. It started from the right margin of the root of the tongue, passed 1.0 cm posterior to its apex, and reached the center of its left margin. Corresponding to them, similar tooth marks were noted on the inferior surface of the tongue. The trachea was completely severed 2.0cm below the laryngeal prominence, while the esophagus was intact. At the same level as the tracheal injury, both sternocleidomastoid muscles and other neck muscles were separated into upper and lower pieces. The intima of the left carotid artery showed 4 transverse tears 2.0 cm below its bifurcation, ranging in length from 0.3 cm to 0.6 cm. A similar tear 0.9 cm long was noted on the intima of the right carotid artery 2.4 cm below its bifurcation. A linear transversal incomplete fracture was detected at the center of the either superior articular surface of the second cervical vertebra.