Question

Certain obligations on the part of a doctor who undertakes a post mortem examination are the following, EXCEPT:

• A. The examination should be meticulous and complete
• B. Routinely record all positive findings and important negative ones
• C. He must keep the police informed about the findings
• D. He must preserve viscera and send for toxicology examination in case of poisoning

Hint:

The doctor's duty is a full official report, not informal police updates.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

This question checks which of the listed duties is not actually one of a doctor's obligations while carrying out a medico legal post mortem examination.

1. The examination should be meticulous and complete: This is a genuine duty. A post mortem is a legal document, and every organ and system must be examined carefully and completely, since a missed finding cannot usually be recovered later. This statement is true, so it is not the answer.
2. Routinely record all positive findings and important negative ones: This is a real duty too. Negative findings, such as the absence of an injury where one might be expected, can be just as important as positive findings in building the full picture, so both must be documented. This statement is true, so it is not the answer.
3. He must keep the police informed about the findings: This is not a standard duty of the doctor performing the autopsy. The doctor's role is to prepare the post mortem report accurately and send it through the proper official channel, usually to the investigating officer or court that requested the examination, and to maintain confidentiality otherwise. Casually keeping the police updated as an ongoing duty is not part of the doctor's defined obligations, which makes this the exception.
4. He must preserve viscera and send for toxicology examination in case of poisoning: This is a genuine and important duty. Whenever poisoning is suspected, the doctor must preserve the stomach, intestines, liver, kidney, and blood samples in proper containers and send them for chemical analysis, since this evidence cannot be recreated afterward. This statement is true, so it is not the answer.

The one duty that does not belong on this list is keeping the police informed about the findings, since the doctor's obligation is to document and report through the official channel, not to routinely brief the police.

Let's summarize:

• A post mortem must be thorough, with both positive and important negative findings recorded.
• Viscera must be preserved and sent for toxicology whenever poisoning is suspected.
• Direct, informal reporting to the police is not one of the doctor's defined duties.

So the exception, and the correct answer, is option 3.