典藏书目

For those who died by hanging (Zibi, self-hanging), the eyes are closed, lips and mouth corners are black, skin is torn revealing teeth. If the rope is tied above the throat, the mouth is closed, jaw is tight, tongue presses against upper teeth and cannot extend out (another view says teeth slightly bite the tongue); if the rope is tied below the throat, the mouth opens, tongue tip extends 2 to 3 fen outside the teeth. The face shows a purplish-red color, saliva foam appears at mouth corners, angles of mouth, and chest. Hands must clasp thumbs, toe tips hang straight down. Legs show spots like moxibustion burns, from lower abdomen to small abdomen and genitals appear cyan-black. Urine and feces discharge spontaneously, head of large intestine may have one or two drops of blood. The mark under the throat is purplish-red or dark purple, extending to hairline behind left and right ears, transverse length 9 cun or more up to 1 chi (one view says men 1 chi 1 cun, women 1 chi). Feet suspended means deep mark, feet grounded means shallow mark; fat body means deep mark, thin body means shallow mark; using fine tight hemp rope or grass rope for high-place hanging with body jerk causes death, mark is deep; if using full-width silk or white linen neck cloth etc., and low-place hanging, mark is shallow. Low-place hanging, body mostly lies prone below, or side-lying or supine. Side-lying, mark rises obliquely across throat; prone lying, mark rises straight, located under throat, starting from ear side, mostly not reaching below back-of-head hairline.

Hanging place must be higher than 8 chi, feet suspended, object stepped on must be double height, like suspended place. Or in bed, chair, stove, ship cabin, as long as height is 2 to 3 chi or more, can also die by hanging.

If after muddy rain, must check dead person's bare feet or shoes, whether footprints remain where stepped.

Hanging methods include live knot, dead knot, single cross tie, winding tie. Must check what object dead person stepped on to put head in rope loop, must allow rope loop wide enough for head entry to be correct. Live knot, feet touch ground, even knee-kneeling on ground, can also die; dead knot, feet touch ground, even knee-kneeling on ground, can also die.

Single cross tie, must be suspended in air to cause death, toe tips slightly touching ground will not cause death.

Single cross tie, refers to dead person first tying rope around own neck, then using hand to tie rope end to high place. Must first examine dust at high place where rope is tied, and what object dead person stepped on, confirming dead person could reach up with hand to tie rope end, thus it is self-hanging. Above rope end place, if too high or large, hand cannot climb, person cannot go up, then it is another person hanging them up. Also examine stretchability of tied object, must be that after head falls, upper tied place sinks more than 1 chi, thus it is self-hanging. If head tightly presses against upper object, definitely hung by another person.

Winding tie method, is dead person first winding rope around neck twice, stepping on high object to tie above, hanging body to cause death. Or first tying rope on beam or tree branch, double strands hanging down, stepping high putting head into double strand loop, winding one or two more times. Marks form two paths: upper path, winds behind ear, obliquely enters hairline; lower path, horizontally wraps around neck. Officials fear rejection of mixed evidence, must inform inspector, beg to report only one mark, absolutely do not believe blindly. If removing upper mark, does not resemble self-hanging; if removing lower mark, is exactly fatal vital area. If re-inspector refuses to agree filling grid, blood relatives complain, again dispatching official re-inspects, what to do? Must record truthfully, cannot treat as only one mark inspection. For overlapping and separated parts, measure fully taking head ends in two sections, [draw shape], re-wind rope at tied place, compare width same, allow re-inspection, no future trouble.

Generally due to illness in bed, supine using rope etc. self-hanging, then corpse eyes closed, lip skin torn, exposing teeth biting tongue, extending 1 to 2 fen. Flesh color yellow, body thin, hands clenched fists, anus has feces discharged. Left and right hands mostly holding self-hanging material until tight, after death still in hands. Must measure distance between two fist knuckles several cun. Throat mark purplish-red, surrounding length over 1 chi, knot ties under throat, front part deeper. Previously rescued, then corpse belly swollen, mostly no biting tongue, anus no feces.

If true self-hanging, dig hole under feet of hanging three chi or so, find charcoal, thus it is.

Or hanging under house, first examine dust on beams, rafters etc. at hanging place, if very messy and abundant, thus it is. If only one path has no dust, not self-hanging.

First use stick gently knock on tied rope, if tight straight, then yes; if loose slow, then moved corpse. Generally moving corpse to other place hanging, old mark moves, resulting in two marks.

Generally inspecting self-hanging corpse, first must see what location? What street lane? What family? Who saw? What object did person use themselves? Where tied over? Or made cross dead knot tied, or made live knot loop under neck. Then inspect wearing clothes new/old. Measure four directions of body: East West South North to what object? Face look at what place? Back face what place? What object dead person used to step on? Up measure head suspended away from hanging place, distance how many dimensions? Down measure feet to ground, distance how many dimensions? Or although hanging place low, also look at head hanging rope place, down to leaving place, and measure distance how many dimensions? In public untie, carry corpse to bright place, then untie self-hanging rope loop, total measure length how many dimensions? Measure circumference of throat loop rope, circumference length how many? Neck crossing circle, measure to ear back hairline start place, width narrowness, transverse slant, length shortness, then according to law inspect.

Generally inspecting self-hanging person, first ask original declarer, what category of person was dead body? When seen? Whether or not untied to rescue? Time submitting to official early/late? If someone recognizes, then ask: Self-hanging person age how many? What business? Family has whom people? Why here self-hanging? If servant, first ask employer for contract book to verify, still look contract book has or not relatives, age how many? Also look original hanging trace place. If once untied to rescue, then ask untied time had pulse or no pulse? Untied about how much time died? Must carefully.

Generally inspecting, not yet can make self-hanging fatal, not distinguished carefully. Generally having this, only can make person alive before using rope tie throat under or above, vital fatal body die, to prevent dead person otherwise injustice. And such as person sleeping, being person using rope strangle die hang place, how inspector see is self-hanging cause death? Should careful.

Many people household female servant, male laborer or outsider, in home self-hanging; person not know law, avoid seeing stench and avoid inspection, thus move corpse out hang. Old mark move, cause two marks: Old mark purple red, has blood; Moved mark only white no blood.

Move corpse matter principle very clear, want public root investigate, list living before and after death mark. Because move corpse only cane punishment crime, if leak drop not detailed, re-inspect official not correspond, submit as two marks, office must opposite see doubt, increase heavy connected person disaster.

Corpse first day long time rot, head hang up, corpse side on ground, flesh溃 see bone. But inspect hung head, its rope if enter groove (meaning two ears connect chin deep towards bone base) and inspect two wrist bones, head brain bone all red color ones are. (One view teeth red color, and ten finger tip bones red color ones are)