Inguito G B, Pelletier T K, Pretzler E, Ingle J H
University of Delaware Medical Scholars Program, USA.
Del Med J. 2001 Feb;73(2):57-62.
Part 1 of this series began in 1194, when the coroner system was formally established in England with the original interest in death to protect the financial interest of the crown. This coroner system was brought to the United States during the early 1600s where the first recorded autopsy was performed in Massachusetts in 1647. Significant changes were made to improve upon the coroner system. In 1877, the first medical examiner system was established in the state of Massachusetts, requiring that the coroner be supplanted by a physician known as a medical examiner. Using the system established in Massachusetts as a model, New York City developed an improved medical examiner system in 1915. The improvements made by New York City, under the leadership of men such as Drs. Charles Norris and Alex Gettler, essentially laid down the foundation for medical examiner systems and forensic toxicology throughout the country. Part 2 of this series begins in Maryland. Maryland soon followed in New York City's footsteps and in 1939 developed the first statewide medical examiner system in the U.S. Influenced by systems such as Maryland's and New York City's, Delaware established a medical examiner system in 1955 to work alongside of the pre-existing coroner system. It was not until about a decade later, in 1964, that the system became successful under the leadership of Dr. Ali Z. Hameli. In 1970, after 15 years of uphill battles with supporters of the antiquated coroner system, it was abolished, resulting in a statewide medical examiner system. Today, Delaware's medical examiner system has one of the best medicolegal investigative facilities in the country, complete with its own forensic sciences laboratory under the jurisdiction of a Chief Medical Examiner. Delaware's Office of Chief Medical Examiner will try to continue its tradition to serve as a model for other states and possibly other countries to follow.
本系列的第一部分始于1194年，当时验尸官制度在英国正式确立，最初关注死亡是为了保护王室的财政利益。17世纪初，这一验尸官制度被引入美国，1647年在马萨诸塞州进行了首次有记录的尸检。为改进验尸官制度进行了重大变革。1877年，马萨诸塞州建立了首个医学检验官制度，要求由一名被称为医学检验官的医生取代验尸官。以马萨诸塞州建立的制度为模式，纽约市于1915年开发了改进后的医学检验官制度。在查尔斯·诺里斯博士和亚历克斯·格特勒博士等人的领导下，纽约市所做的改进基本上为全国的医学检验官制度和法医毒理学奠定了基础。本系列的第二部分始于马里兰州。马里兰州很快追随纽约市的脚步，于1939年在美国建立了首个全州范围的医学检验官制度。受马里兰州和纽约市等制度的影响，特拉华州于1955年建立了医学检验官制度，与原有的验尸官制度并行。直到大约十年后的1964年，在阿里·Z·哈梅利博士的领导下，该制度才取得成功。1970年，在与过时的验尸官制度的支持者进行了15年的艰苦斗争后，验尸官制度被废除，形成了全州范围的医学检验官制度。如今，特拉华州的医学检验官制度拥有全国最好的法医学调查设施之一，设有一个由首席医学检验官管辖的法医学实验室。特拉华州首席医学检验官办公室将努力延续其传统，为其他州乃至其他国家树立榜样。
