Smothering involves blocking a person's airways by covering their nose and mouth, which can cause asphyxiation. It can occur accidentally, through suicide, or homicide. Accidental smothering may happen if an intoxicated or epileptic person's face is covered, or if someone falls into a material like grain or sand. Children may be accidentally smothered by plastic bags. Homicidal smothering often targets the incapacitated by hand or material over the face. The autopsy looks for signs of asphyxiation or obstruction in the airways and lungs.

1. SMOTHERING
KARTHICK R M
ALTHEANZ 09

2. DEFINITION
 Smothering is a form of asphyxia which is caused
by closing the external respiratory orifices either by
hand or by other means.
 Smothering can be also done by blocking up the
cavities of the nose and mouth by the introduction
of a foreign substance, such as mud,paper,cloth,
etc

3. SUICIDAL SMOTHERING
 Suicidal smothering is impossible.
 Suicide is possible by burying the face in a matress
or lying against the bed clothing to obstruct the
nose and mouth
 It is usually seen in mental patients and prisoners.
 Suicidal suffocation can be effected by tying a
polythene bag or similar bag over the head.
 In cut throat wounds, the trachea may be
completely cut and the soft parts may obstruct the
trachea and the victim is smothered.

4. ACCIDENTAL SMOTHERING
 Most of the fatal smotherings are fatal.
 An epileptic or intoxicated person may smother
himself accidentally by burying his face in a pillow
or by covering with bed clothes
 A person may accidentally fall in to a large quantity
of semisolid or finely divided material like, mud,
ashes ,feathers, grain, sand, coal etc
 the victim may struggle, inhale some of the
material into his air passages and swallow some
into his stomach in an effort to breathe.

5.  Children may be suffocated accidentally while
playing with plastic bags.
 Smothering from plastic bags may occur due to the
addictive habit of “glue-sniffing” , in which the
organic solvents of certain solvents is used as an
intoxicant, by putting obtain a high concentration of
vapour .

6.  Death may even occur if the open end of the bag is
not tied around the neck due to cardiac inhibition
 Plastic bags may be applied to the head for
experiment or auto-erotic exercise, as partial
asphyxia is believed to increase sexual sensation.
 It also occurs if the membranes remain round the
head of the newborn after delivery.

7. HOMICIDAL SMOTHERING
 Homicide is possible where the victim is
incapacitated from drink or drugs, very weak, child
or older person, illness , and the victim is stunned
by a blow
 Usually the mouth and nose are closed by a cloth
or hand , or the face may be pressed into a pillow.

9.  BURKING: The
term burking is often ascribed to a killing method
that involves simultaneous smothering and
compression of the torso.
 WILLIAM BURKE and WILLAM HARE
 They killed the usually – intoxicated victims by
sitting on their chests and suffocating them by
putting a hand over their nose and mouth, using the
other hand to push the victim’s jaw up.
 The corpses were supplied to medical schools for
money

10. WILLIAM BURKE and WILLIAM HARE

11. AUTOPSY
 Obstruction by bed clothing , a pillow , a
cushion,etc.,applied with skill , may not leave any
external signs of violence , especially in the very
young and the old.
 The asphyxial signs and symptoms are severe
because death usually results due to asphyxia.
 If the orifices are closed by hand , there may be
scratches, distinct nail-marks, or lacerations of the
soft parts of the victim’s face.

12.  The lips, gums and tongue may show bruising or
laceration.
 The tongue may be protruded , and may have been
bitten.

13.  In some cases death is due to reflex cardiac arrest ,
and asphyxial signs are absent.
 Signs of asphyxia are faint or absent in case of
plastic bag suffocation. Moisture usally collects in
the bag

14. INTERNAL CHANGES
 Bloodstained frothy fluid is present in air passages.
 Slight acute emphysemas and oedema of the lungs
with scattered areas of atelectasis , petechiae and
congestion are the major findings.

15.  The internal organs are deeply congested and
some times show small haemorrhages.
 If a person is buried alive, earth and sand will be
found in the respiratory tract.

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