The detection and interpretation of drugs, poisons and other chemical substances in the body for legal purposes. The 1910 Crippen case, in which the victim was poisoned, is an early example of the discipline informing a criminal investigation.
Facts
What It ExaminesBody fluids and tissues, tested for alcohol, drugs, poisons and their metabolites, and interpreted for what the concentrations found mean for behavior and cause of death. 1 Formalized YearSourced to the subject's own accountDated to Mathieu Orfila's treatise Traite des poisons, credited with founding forensic toxicology as a systematic discipline. Known LimitationSourced to the subject's own accountDetection windows vary by substance and can be affected by post-mortem redistribution, which complicates interpreting drug concentrations measured after death. 3 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Forensic toxicology is treated as a subfield of forensic chemistry, sharing its analytical chemical methods.
Cases Where Used
Sources
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