SUIS IN FM

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Finding Sources

I now have enough information from the textbook sources to give a comprehensive answer. Here is the full FM topic on Suicide:

SUICIDE IN FORENSIC MEDICINE (FM)

1. Definition

Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one's own life. It is a manner of death (as opposed to the cause of death). In forensic terminology, manner of death has five categories: Natural, Accident, Suicide, Homicide, Undetermined (NASHUD).

The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 36th ed. (2026)

2. Medico-Legal Significance

Suicide is important in FM for:

Death certification - correct certification of manner of death
Insurance claims - policies may be void in case of suicide
Criminal law - abetment of suicide (IPC Sec 306) is punishable; attempt to suicide was earlier under IPC Sec 309 (now decriminalized)
Post-mortem examination - to distinguish suicide from homicide or accident
Psychological autopsy - used in equivocal/undetermined deaths

3. Decriminalization of Suicide in India

Under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (Section 115):

Any person who attempts suicide is presumed to be under severe stress
The government has a duty to provide care, treatment, and rehabilitation
No legal proceedings can be initiated under IPC Section 309
The person is not to be punished but to be treated

"Presumption of severe stress for any individual who attempts suicide... No legal proceedings can be initiated under IPC Section 309." - The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 36th ed.

However, abetment of suicide (IPC Sec 306) remains a criminal offence.

4. Methods of Suicide

Common methods (in order of frequency, globally):

Hanging (most common in India)
Drowning
Poisoning (drug overdose, organophosphates, etc.)
Firearm (most common in USA)
Incised/cut throat wounds (sharp force)
Burning/self-immolation
Jumping from height
Road traffic accident (deliberate acceleration - gas pedal imprint on shoe sole, no skid marks)

5. Suicide by Firearm - Forensic Features

Sites of election for suicidal gunshot:

Right temple (~60%) - most common
Centre of forehead
Roof of mouth (hard palate)
Under the chin (midline)
Front/left side of chest (cardiac region)

Key points:

A right-handed person shoots the right temple; left-handed: left temple
Bullet direction: almost horizontal or upward and backward
Typically a contact or close-range shot with muzzle imprint, burning, tattooing
Weapon found at the scene (may be gripped by cadaveric spasm)
For rifle/shotgun: butt supported on ground, person leans over weapon

Differentiating Suicide vs. Homicide vs. Accident by Firearm (Parikh's Table 17.3):

Feature	Suicide	Homicide/Accident
Victim	Generally adult male	Any
Site of wound	Temple, forehead, roof of mouth, chin, front of chest	Any part of body
Distance	Contact or very close shot	Usually distant, occasionally close
Direction	Consistent with self-firing	Any direction
Number of shots	Generally one; hesitation shots may occur	Any number
Cadaveric spasm	Weapon may be firmly grasped	Weapon may be missing; no cadaveric spasm
Scene of crime	No disorder generally	Evidence of disorder/struggle may be present

Parikh's Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

6. Psychological Autopsy

Used in equivocal deaths (manner of death unclear or not witnessed).

Definition: A set of postmortem investigative procedures that assess physical and psychological factors in the death of a suicide victim to determine the manner of death with the highest possible certainty.

Data sources:

Structured interviews of family, friends, coworkers, employers, fellow students
Medical, educational, sexual, marital, employment, alcohol/drug history
Phobias, moods, personality, psychiatric history, previous suicide attempts
Financial records, first-person accounts from last days of life
Scene of death, police investigation reports, archival documents

Four main functions:

Determination of mode of death
Determine the state of mind at the time of death
Retrieve honest information in a way that is healing for survivors
Gain information helpful for treating future patients

Most commonly introduced in:

Custodial care cases (police custody/prisons)
Contested life insurance claims
Criminal cases (suicide vs. homicide)
Worker's compensation, product manufacturer's liability, professional negligence
The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 36th ed. (2026)

7. Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

Assisted Suicide: When someone (usually a physician - "physician-assisted suicide") provides information, guidance, and means for a person to take their own life, with the intention that these will be used for that purpose.

Euthanasia by Action: Intentionally causing death by an action (e.g., lethal injection).

Euthanasia by Omission: Intentionally causing death by NOT providing necessary ordinary care, food, or water.

What is NOT euthanasia: Acts lacking the intention to take life:

Not commencing futile/ineffective treatment
Withdrawing ineffective, burdensome, or unwanted treatment
Giving high-dose painkillers necessary for symptom relief that may incidentally shorten life (double effect)
P C Dikshit Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

8. Death Certification in Suicide

The cause of death is the pathological mechanism (e.g., asphyxia due to hanging; incised wound of wrist, self-inflicted)
The manner of death is suicide
Example: Cause of death: Incised wound of the wrist, self-inflicted; Manner of death - Suicide
The forensic pathologist certifies manner of death; a court may overrule, but the medical opinion stands independently

9. Suicide by Motor Vehicle

Deliberate acceleration into a fixed object: imprint of gas pedal pattern on driver's shoe sole
Absence of skid marks leading up to the impact site
Both suggest the driver was accelerating (not braking) at time of collision, pointing toward suicide
P C Dikshit Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

10. IPC Provisions (India) - Summary

Section	Provision	Status
IPC Sec 309	Attempt to commit suicide	Decriminalized under Mental Healthcare Act 2017, Sec 115
IPC Sec 306	Abetment of suicide	Still criminal - punishable
IPC Sec 305	Abetment of suicide of a minor/insane/intoxicated person	Still criminal - enhanced punishment

Key Exam Points (High-Yield):

Most common site of suicidal gunshot = right temple (~60%)
Most common method in India = hanging; in USA = firearm
Cadaveric spasm with weapon grasped = suggestive of suicide (hard to simulate)
IPC 309 (attempt to suicide) is decriminalized; IPC 306 (abetment) is NOT
Psychological autopsy = used in equivocal deaths and insurance claims
Contact wound + inward beveling of skull + absence of protective injuries = suicidal gunshot

Full form of SUIS

In the context of Forensic Medicine, SUIS is not an abbreviation — it is simply the Latin word for "of oneself" or "self," which is the root of the English word suicide (Latin: sui = of oneself + caedere = to kill).

So when you wrote "SUIS IN FM," you were asking about the topic of Suicide in Forensic Medicine — which is exactly what was covered in the previous response.

If you meant a different full form or acronym, please clarify and I'll look it up right away.

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