Nashelsky M B, Dix J D, Adelstein E H
Department of Pathology, University of Missouri - Columbia Hospital and Clinics, MO.
J Forensic Sci. 1995 Jan;40(1):134-8.
Three related homicides in which each decedent had significant concentrations of chloroform in blood, fat, brain and/or liver are described. The tissue concentrations of chloroform in one of three decedents were within reported lethal ranges. The concentrations in the remaining two decedents were less than lethal but were well above blood levels in nonoccupationally exposed, healthy subjects. The cause of death in one decedent with sublethal chloroform concentrations was suffocation; the cause of death in the other decedent could not be determined with certainty. The manner of death in each case was homicide. Through a review of the literature the authors discuss the history of chloroform as an inhalation anesthetic and the history of chloroform as an agent of abuse, suicide, assault, and homicide. Blood and/or tissue concentrations of chloroform in nonoccupationally exposed, healthy subjects and victims of suicide or homicide from previous reports are compared and contrasted with the amounts in blood and/or tissue in the three subjects described in this study. The authors conclude that, in addition to a direct lethal effect, chloroform may be used to incapacitate a victim of assault who then dies by another cause.
本文描述了三起相关的杀人案件，每名死者的血液、脂肪、大脑和/或肝脏中都含有高浓度的氯仿。三名死者中一人的氯仿组织浓度在报告的致死范围内。其余两名死者体内的氯仿浓度虽未达到致死水平，但远高于非职业暴露的健康受试者的血液水平。一名氯仿浓度未达致死水平的死者死因是窒息；另一名死者的死因无法确定。每起案件的死亡方式均为他杀。通过文献回顾，作者们讨论了氯仿作为吸入性麻醉剂的历史以及氯仿作为滥用、自杀、袭击和杀人工具的历史。将之前报告中未接触氯仿的健康受试者以及自杀或他杀受害者的血液和/或组织中的氯仿浓度，与本研究中描述的三名受试者血液和/或组织中的氯仿含量进行了比较和对比。作者们得出结论，除了直接的致死作用外，氯仿还可能被用于使袭击受害者丧失能力，随后受害者因其他原因死亡。
