凡检验，不可信凭行人，须令将酒醋洗净，仔细查看。如烧死，口内有灰。溺死，腹胀
，内有水。以衣物或湿纸搭口鼻上死，即腹干胀。若被人勒死，项下绳索交过，手指甲或抓
损。若自缢，即脑后分八字，索子不交。绳在喉下，舌出；喉上，舌不出，切在详细。自余
伤损致命，即无可疑。如有疑虑，即且捉贼。捉贼不获，犹是公过。若被人打杀，却作病死
，后如获贼，不免深谴。
凡检验文本，不得作“皮破血出”。大凡皮破即血出，当云“皮微损有血出”。
凡定致命痕，虽小，当微广其分寸。定致命痕内骨折，即声说骨不折，不须言骨不折
却重害也。(或行凶器杖未到，不可分毫增减，恐他日索到异同)
凡伤处多，只指定一痕系要害致命。
凡聚众打人，最难定致命痕。如死人身上有两痕皆可致命，此两痕若是一人下手，则无
害；若是两人，则一人偿命，一人不偿命。须是两痕内斟酌得最重者为致命。
凡官守，戒访外事。惟检验一事，若有大段疑难，须更广布耳目以合之，庶几无误。如
斗殴限内身死，痕损不明；若有病色，曾使医人、师巫救治之类，即多因病患死。若不访问
，则不知也。虽广布耳目，不可任一人，仍在善使之；不然，适足自误。
凡行凶人不得受他通吐，一例收人解送。待他到县通吐后，却勾追。恐手脚下人妄生事
搔扰也。
凡初、覆检讫，血属、耆正副、邻人并责状看守尸首，切不可混同解官，徒使被扰。但
解凶身、干证。若狱司要人，自会追呼。
凡检覆后，体访得行凶事因，不可见之公文者，面白长官，使知曲折，庶易勘鞠。
近年诸路宪司行下，每于初、覆检官内，就差一员兼体究。凡体究者，必须先唤集邻保
，反复审问。如归一，则合款供；或见闻参差，则令各供一款。或并责行凶人供吐大略，一
并缴申本县及宪司。县狱凭此审勘，宪司凭此详覆。或小有差互，皆受重责。簿、尉既无刑
禁，邻里多已惊奔。若凭吏卒开口，即是私意。须是多方体访，务令参会归一。切不可凭一
二人口说，便以为信，及备三两纸供状，谓可塞责。况其中不识字者，多出吏人代书；其邻
证内或又与凶身是亲故，及暗受买嘱符合者，不可不察。
随行人吏及合干人，多卖弄四邻，先期纵其走避，只捉远邻或老人、妇人及未成丁人塞
责。(或不得已而用之，只可参互审问，终难凭以为实，全在斟酌)又有行凶人，恐要切干证
人（真）〔直〕供，有所妨碍，故令藏匿；自以亲密人或地客、佃客出官，合套诬证，不可不知。
顽囚多不伏于格目内凶身下填写姓名、押字，公吏有所取受，反教令别撰名色，写作被
诬或干连之类，欲乘此走弄出入。近江西宋提刑重定格目，申之朝省，添入被执人一项。若
虚实未定者，不得已与之就下书填。其确然是实者，须勒令佥押于正行凶字下。不可姑息诡
随，全在检验官自立定见。
凡是进行尸体检验，不能轻信和依赖普通路人，必须让相关人员用酒和醋将尸体清洗干净，然后仔细查看。如果是烧死的人，口腔内会有灰烬；如果是溺死的人，腹部会肿胀，体内有水。如果是用衣物或湿纸捂住口鼻致死，腹部则是干燥且胀大的。如果是被人勒死，脖子上的绳索会交叉，手指甲可能有抓挠造成的损伤。如果是自缢，绳索在脑后的结呈八字分开，绳索不交叉。如果绳结在喉咙下方，舌头会伸出来；如果绳结在喉咙上方，舌头不会伸出，这一点需要详细辨别。其余的因外伤导致死亡的，就没有什么可疑之处了。如果有疑虑，就先抓捕盗贼。即使没抓到盗贼，也只是公务上的过失。如果是被人打死却伪装成病死，后来抓获了真凶，就难免受到严厉的谴责。
凡是书写检验文书，不得写成“皮肤破损出血”。大凡皮肤破损就会出血，应当写成“皮肤轻微受损并有血出”。
凡是确定致命伤痕，即使很小，也应当稍微扩大测量的分寸。如果在确定的致命伤痕内发现骨折，就如实陈述骨头没有折断，不要说“虽然骨头没断但伤害很重”。（或者行凶的器械尚未找到，不可在描述上丝毫增减，恐怕日后查获器械时发现不一致。）
凡是受伤处很多的情况，只指定一处伤痕作为要害致命伤。
凡是众人聚众殴打，最难确定致命伤痕。如果死者身上有两处伤痕都可以致命，这两处伤痕如果是同一个人造成的，则无妨；如果是两个人造成的，则一人偿命，一人不偿命。必须在两处伤痕中斟酌判定最重的那一处为致命伤。
凡是官员值守，要戒除打听外事的习惯。唯独在检验一事上，如果有非常疑难的情况，必须更广泛地搜集情报来核实，这样才可能不出错。比如在斗殴规定期限内死亡，伤痕不明显；或者有病容，曾经请医生、巫师救治过等情况，往往是因为患病而死。如果不进行访问调查，就不会知道这些情况。虽然要广泛搜集情报，但不能只听信一个人，还要善于使用这些人；否则，反而足以误导自己。
凡是行凶者不得接受他人的贿赂供词，一律收押并解送。等到他们到达县衙接受审讯后，再勾连追诉其他相关人员。这是为了防止手下的差役妄生事端、骚扰百姓。
凡是初次检验和复核检验结束后，血属（亲属）、耆正副（基层治安人员）、邻居都要责令写下保证书看守尸首，切不可胡乱地将尸首解送官府，徒然使家属受到骚扰。只需解送凶手和相关证人。如果狱司需要人，自然会去追呼传唤。
凡是检验复核之后，通过走访得知了行凶的真实原因，其中不可写入公文的内容，要当面告知长官，使其了解事情的原委，这样才容易进行审讯。
近年来各路提点刑狱司下发指令，每每在初检、复检官员中，选派一名官员兼任调查工作。凡是进行调查的官员，必须先召集邻里保甲，反复审问。如果说法一致，就合并供词；如果见闻有差异，就令各自提供一份供词。或者一并责令行凶者供述大致情况，一并上缴本县及提点刑狱司。县监狱凭借此进行审理勘验，提点刑狱司凭借此进行详细复核。如果稍有差错，都会受到严厉责罚。簿尉既没有刑讯逼供的手段，邻里大多已经惊恐奔逃。如果任凭吏卒开口说话，就是出于私意。必须多方面调查访问，务必使调查结果相互印证归于一致。切不可凭一两个人的口说就相信，以及准备两三张供状就说可以搪塞责任。况且其中不识字的人，多由吏员代笔；那些邻里证人中有的又是凶手的亲友，或者暗中受买嘱而配合的，不可不加以考察。
随行的书吏及相关人员，常常利用四邻，提前放走真正的证人，只抓捕远邻或老人、妇女及未成年的人来搪塞责任。（或者不得已而使用这些人，也只能互相参审核问，终究难以凭此认定为事实，全在于斟酌判断。）又有行凶者，担心关键的直接证人供词对自己不利，有所妨碍，所以让人藏匿证人；自己则让亲密的人或地主、佃户出庭，编造虚假证词诬陷他人，这些情况不可不知道。
顽劣的囚犯多在格目（检验记录表格）内凶身（凶手）名下拒绝填写姓名、按押指印，公吏从中受贿，反而教唆他们另外编造名色，写作被诬陷或牵连之类，企图借此玩弄手段出入罪案。近来江西宋提刑重新制定格目，上报朝廷，增加了“被执人”一项。如果虚实未定，不得已时让他们在下栏填写。如果确凿属实，必须责令他们在“正行凶”字样下签字画押。不可姑息纵容诡诈顺从，全在于检验官确立坚定的主见。
In all corpse examinations, one must not rely on or trust ordinary passersby. It is necessary to have the body washed clean with wine and vinegar, and then examined carefully. If the person died by burning, there will be ash in the mouth; if drowned, the abdomen will be swollen with water inside. If suffocated by covering the mouth and nose with clothing or wet paper, the abdomen will be dry and distended. If strangled by another, the rope around the neck will cross over itself, and the fingernails may show scratches from struggling. If suicide by hanging, the knot at the back of the head forms a figure-eight shape, and the rope does not cross. If the rope is below the throat, the tongue protrudes; if above the throat, the tongue does not protrude; this point requires detailed distinction. For other fatal injuries caused by trauma, there is little room for doubt. If doubts exist, arrest the suspect first. Failure to catch the thief results only in an official oversight. However, if someone beaten to death is disguised as dying of illness, and the true perpetrator is later caught, severe reprimand is inevitable.
When drafting examination records, do not write "skin broken with blood flowing." Generally, when skin is broken, blood flows; it should be written as "skin slightly damaged with blood flowing."
When identifying the fatal wound, even if small, the measurements should be slightly expanded. If bone fracture is found within the identified fatal wound, state that the bone is not fractured; do not add comments like "though the bone is unbroken, the injury is severe." (If the weapon has not yet been recovered, descriptions must not be altered in slightest detail, lest discrepancies arise when the weapon is later produced.)
When there are many wounds, designate only one as the vital fatal injury.
In cases of group beating, it is most difficult to determine the fatal wound. If there are two wounds on the deceased's body, both potentially fatal: if inflicted by one person, it poses no issue; if inflicted by two people, one pays with their life while the other does not. One must weigh the two wounds and identify the more severe one as the cause of death.
Officials on duty should refrain from meddling in external affairs. Only in matters of corpse examination, if there are significant difficulties, one must widely gather intelligence to verify facts, thereby minimizing errors. For example, if death occurs within the timeframe of a brawl and wounds are unclear; or if the deceased showed signs of illness and had sought treatment from doctors or shamans, death was likely due to disease. Without such inquiries, these factors would remain unknown. Although intelligence gathering is necessary, one must not rely on a single source, nor blindly trust informants; otherwise, it leads to self-deception.
Perpetrators of violence must not accept bribes or false confessions from others; they should be detained and transferred uniformly. Only after they arrive at the county office and confess should other related parties be summoned. This prevents subordinates from fabricating issues and harassing the public.
After initial and secondary examinations, relatives (blood kin), local heads (Qizheng), and neighbors must be required to sign guarantees to guard the corpse. The corpse must not be arbitrarily transported to the government office, which would merely harass the family. Only the perpetrator and relevant witnesses need to be transferred. If the prison authorities require persons, they will summon them directly.
After examination and review, if the true circumstances of the assault are discovered through investigation but cannot be included in official documents, these details should be reported verbally to the superior officer so they understand the nuances, facilitating easier interrogation.
In recent years, circuit judges (Tidian Xingsi) have issued directives to assign one official among those conducting initial and secondary examinations to also conduct investigations. Investigating officials must first assemble neighbors and guarantors for repeated questioning. If accounts align, combine the testimonies; if there are discrepancies, require separate statements. Alternatively, compel the perpetrator to provide a general confession, submitting all documents to the county and the circuit judge. The county prison uses these for trial and verification, while the circuit judge uses them for detailed review. Any minor inconsistencies result in heavy punishment. Since clerks lack coercive power and neighbors often flee in panic, relying solely on the words of clerks introduces bias. Thorough investigation is essential to ensure consistent findings. One must not trust the word of one or two individuals, nor submit just two or three sheets of testimony to shirk responsibility. Moreover, illiterate individuals often have clerks write for them; some neighbor-witnesses may be relatives of the perpetrator or secretly bribed to cooperate. Such situations must be scrutinized.
Accompanying clerks and involved personnel often exploit neighbors, warning them in advance to flee, and instead arresting distant neighbors, elderly people, women, or minors to fulfill quotas. (If such persons must be used, their testimonies must be cross-examined; they cannot be taken as absolute truth, requiring careful judgment.) Furthermore, perpetrators may hide key direct witnesses to prevent damaging testimony, substituting them with close associates, landlords, or tenants who provide fabricated evidence. These tactics must be recognized.
Recalcitrant prisoners often refuse to sign or fingerprint the designated "perpetrator" section in the examination form. Corrupt clerks, having accepted bribes, may instruct them to use alternative names or claim they were falsely implicated or merely connected, attempting to manipulate the case outcome. Recently, Song Ci, the Circuit Judge of Jiangxi, revised the form, adding a category for "detained persons." If guilt is undetermined, reluctantly allow them to fill in the lower section. If guilt is certain, strictly require them to sign under the "primary perpetrator" heading. Do not tolerate deceit or compliance; the examiner must maintain firm judgment.