“The doctors guide to the correct examination of dead human bodies...” by I.V. Buyalsky (1824): the first original Russian guide to forensic medical examination

Abstract

The year 2024 marks the 235th anniversary of the birth of Ilya Vasilyevich Buyalsky, an outstanding Russian surgeon, anatomist, and forensic physician and Honored Professor of the Imperial Medical and Surgical Academy and academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Another anniversary date of this year is associated with Buyalsky’s name: exactly 200 years ago, “The doctors guide to the correct examination of dead human bodies for finding the cause of death, especially in forensic cases,” which was the first original domestic manual on forensic medical examination, was published in the Military Medical Journal. This article comprehensively examined the history of the creation of this work, its main points, and its significance for subsequent generations of Russian forensic medical experts. The article provides information about the activities of Buyalsky in the field of forensic medical examination. An analysis of his work “The doctors guide to the correct examination of dead human bodies...” is presented. The present study shows that Buyalsky was one of the founders of forensic thanatology in our country, and the main provisions of “The doctors guide to the correct examination of dead human bodies...” remain relevant to date.