Medical jurisprudence

That science which applies the principles and practice of medicine to the elucidation and settlement of doubtful questions which arise In courts of law. These questions are properly embraced in five diiferent classes: The first deludes questions arising out of the relations of sex: as, impotence and sterility, hermaphroditism, rape, pregnancy, legitimacy, delivery. The second, Injuries inflicted upon the living organization: as. Infanticide, wounds, poisons, persons found dead. Tjtie third, those arising out of disqualifying diseases: as, tne different forms of mental alienation. The fourth, those arising out of deceptive practice; as, feigned diseases. The fifth is made up of miscellaneous questions: as, age, identity, presimiptlon of seniorship, life assurance, and medical evidence. See the several titles.

See Jurisprudence.

Defined under Medical in Black's Law Dictionary.

The science which applies the principles and practice of the different branches of medicine to the elucidation of doubtful questions in a court of justice. Otherwise called “forensic medicine,” (g. v.) A sort of mixed science, which may be considered as common ground to the practitioners both of law and physic. 1 Steph. Comm. 8.

The science of medicine as applied to legal questions.

Is that branch of jurisprudence which treats of controversies and questions requiring technical medical knowledge and skill, as well as knowledge of law; also called — less appropriately, we think — forensic medicine. Judge Bouvier enumerates four distinct classes of these questions: those arising out of the relations of sex, as impotence and sterility, hermaphroditism, rape, pregnancy, legitimacy, delivery; those relating to injuries inflicted upon the living organization, as infanticide, wounds, poisons, persons found dead; those arising out of disqualifying diseases, as the different forms of mental Mienation; and those miscellaneous questions which will not fall into classes; such as those relating to age, identity, presumption of survivorship, life assurance, and others. MEDIETATIS LINGU-S:. Of halftongue; mixed in language. Another form of the phrase de medietate linguce, q. V.