Courtroom doctor

The topic of this program is the use of forensic medicine in scientific crime detection. A film shows Dr. Russell S. Fisher, lecturer in forensic medicine at Johns Hopkins University and chief medical examiner for the state of Maryland, at work in his lab. He is assisted by a team consisting of a secretary, chemists, a photographic specialist, doctors, police, and specialists in the physical sciences. In dealing with crimes of violence or mysterious death, Dr. Fisher asks: Who is the victim? Is it murder or suicide? When did it happen? How did it happen? Who did it? He shows a photo of a charred body and explains when and how the death occurred and the importance of an autopsy and a post-mortem examination. Dr. Fisher compares blood samples and explains how they are used by a courtroom doctor to exonerate or convict the accused. Using sketches from Lynn Poole's book "Science, the Super Sleuth," Dr. Fisher describes what he looks for in knifing murders. He also tells the case of the arsenic in the pancake flour and demonstrates how the presence of arsenic was confirmed. Lynn Poole shows snapshots of Dr. Fisher as a student in the toxicology lab at Georgia Tech as well as photos from throughout his career in forensic medicine. Dr. Fisher says that this career is different and challenging every day and that there are many opportunities for medical examiners and other trained specialists, with salaries from $17,000-20,000.