The Investigation of Events that followed the death of Cyril Mark Isaacs
Glossary
of
Terms
Alzheimer's Disease
A progressive form of dementia occurring usually
in late middle age. It is associated with diffuse degeneration
disease of the brain.
Autopsy
Examination of a body after death in order to determine
the cause of death or presence of disease processes. (Also referred
to as post mortem examination or necropsy).
Community or Public Mortuary
A mortuary owned by the local authority with facilities
for the storage and preservation of material and for the conduct
of post mortems on persons who have died in the community.
Controls (as applied to pathology)
Specimens of organs or tissues obtained from individuals
who are not affected by the disease process that is being investigated.
These 'normal' control organs or tissues can be compared
with those obtained from those individuals possibly affected by
the disease process that is being investigated.
Coroner
An
independent
judicial
officer
acting
on
behalf
of
the
Crown
to
investigate
the
cause
and
circumstances
of
violent
or
unnatural
deaths,
or
sudden
deaths
of
an
unknown
cause.
Coroners
must
be
legally
and/or
medically
qualified,
although
most
are
now
drawn
from
the
legal
profession.
Coroner's Officer
A Coroner's Officer is either a serving police officer
permanently seconded to the Coroner's office to undertake the
day-to-day routine of investigation of deaths reported to the
Coroner, or a civilian appointed for the same purpose. The Coroner's
Officer's duties may entail the Officer compiling a report in
respect of each sudden death. She/he may compile the report her/himself
or collate reports provided by uniformed police officers and other
witnesses. Increasingly the position of Coroner's Officer has
been made a civilian rather than a police appointment.
Coroner's Post Mortem
Post mortem examination carried out on the instructions
of the Coroner. The consent of the next of kin is not required
for a Coroner's post mortem. The purpose of a Coroner's post mortem
examination is to provide the Coroner with information relevant
to determining the cause of death. The Coroner is not required
to order a post mortem examination in every case reported to him
where information obtained from other sources provides satisfactory
evidence to establish the cause of death.
Coroners Rules 1984
The Rules set out in secondary legislation the procedures
that Coroners should observe in the exercise of their duties.
The present Rules, enacted by Parliament, became operative on
1 July 1984. The Rules set out procedures to be followed in arranging
post mortem examinations, burial orders, inquests, records to
be kept and documents and forms to be used.
Coroner's Staff
The
administrative
office
staff
employed
by
the
local
authority
to
assist
the
Coroner
in
carrying
out
his
duties.
Dementia
A disorder of brain function, usually chronic and
progressive, that is the result of brain disease but may follow
severe head injuries. Dementia is characterised by memory loss,
particularly short-term loss, changes in personality, inability
to attend to personal care, confusion and disorientation.
Down's Syndrome
A congenital disorder that is the single most frequent
cause of mental retardation. It is the result of the affected
person usually having 47 chromosomes rather than the usual 46.
Down's Syndrome is characterised by learning difficulties of varying
severity and sometimes physical abnormalities.
Ethics Committee (EC)
A committee set up to advise NHS bodies (or other
organisation) on the ethical acceptability of research proposals
involving human subjects or human material. Ethics Committees
provide independent advice and members of the committees include
in their membership both lay and professional members who bring
together a broad range of experience and expertise to reconcile
scientific and medical aspects of research with the interests
and welfare of research subjects.
Histology
The study of the internal structure of cells and
tissues by means of special staining techniques combined with
light and electron microscopy.
Hospital Mortuary
A mortuary on a hospital site with facilities for
the storage of bodies of those who have died in the hospital and
usually for the conduct of post mortems.
Huntington's Disease
A progressive hereditary disease characterised by
involuntary movements and dementia. The genetic defect has now
been identified and genetic screening is available for those at
risk.
Inquest
A public hearing called by the Coroner in specific
circumstances to ascertain the identity of the deceased and to
establish how, when and where the death occurred. The proceedings
are inquisitorial by nature. An inquest is appropriate when the
person:
died a violent or unnatural death; or
died a sudden death of which the cause is unknown;
or
died in prison or in such a place or in such
circumstances as to require an inquest under any other Act.
Jewish Burial Board
A co-operative organisation within a Jewish community
that makes arrangements for funerals and pays burial costs and
fees for its members.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
A non-invasive method of imaging the body and organs
within it. The technique has been used in some locations with
the agreement of the Coroner to identify the cause of death as
an alternative to post mortem. However, the technique is applicable
for this purpose in a minority of cases of sudden death and requires
further evaluation.
Mortuary Technician
An employee of the hospital or local authority who
is responsible for the operation of the mortuary in respect of
the reception and storage of bodies. Where a post mortem is undertaken,
the technician assists and is directed by the pathologist during
the examination.
Neuropathology
A study of diseases affecting the nervous system
by microscopic examination of tissue samples to identify diseases
and injuries to the brain and spinal cord.
Organ
A part of the body that forms a structural unit and/or
is responsible for a particular function (or functions). Organs
may be composed of more than one tissue and may be large, for
example the liver, or very small, for example the pituitary.
Parkinson's Disease
A disorder predominantly of middle aged and elderly
people characterised by tremor, rigidity, mask-like facial immobility
and a poverty of spontaneous movement. The first and most prominent
symptom is tremor, which often initially affects one limb and
then spreads progressively to affect other limbs.
Schizophrenia
A mental disorder (or group of disorders) of variable
severity characterised by a disintegration of the process of thinking,
of contact with reality, and of emotional responsiveness and usually
extensive withdrawal of an individual's interest in other people
and their outside world. Delusions and hallucinations (especially
hearing voices) are frequent features, and a patient with this
disorder often feels that their thoughts, sensations, and actions
are controlled by, or shared with, others.
Tissue
A collection of cells specialised to perform a particular
function. The cells may be of the same type (e.g. in nervous tissue)
or of different types (e.g. in connective tissue). Aggregations
of tissue constitute organs.
Tissue Blocks
Tissue blocks are small samples taken from organs
which are then stabilised by a process called 'fixation'
so that wafer thin slices may later be cut for examination on
glass slides under the microscope.
Toxicology
The study of poisonous materials and their effects
upon living organisms. Toxicological investigations may form part
of a post mortem examination to discover if drugs, or other chemical
substances, were implicated or caused death.
|
