Unnatural Death

Unnatural Death, published in 1927, is the third novel written by Dorothy L. Sayers featuring her aristocratic detective Lord Peter Wimsey. The story begins with a conversation in a restaurant between Wimsey, his friend Detective Inspector Charles Parker, and a doctor who tells them about a situation he was involved in: an elderly lady, suffering from a slow-acting cancer, died suddenly and unexpectedly with no obvious immediate cause of death. She died intestate, but her great-niece, with whom she was living, was set to inherit the considerable estate. Suspecting something wrong, the doctor demanded an autopsy, which showed nothing unusual, but stirred up such local animosity that the he was forced to abandon his practice. Wimsey, sensing a mystery, decides to investigate—but his investigation triggers a series of deadly events. One of the delights of the book is the introduction of a new character in Miss Alexandra Climpson, a middle-aged spinster whom Wimsey employs as an investigative agent, and whose effusive reports of the gossip she picks up in the town are very amusing. Unnatural Death is notable for its inclusion of one clearly lesbian character—a decision unusual in detective fiction at the time—and the very sympathetic treatment by Wimsey of a black character (though offensively racist terms for him are used by others in the book). An adaptation of the book was made for BBC radio in 1975.

The Functions of Unnatural Death in Stephen King: Murder, Sickness, and Plots examines the function of death in over thirty of King’s works to parse out the ways the Master of Horror plays with the idea of death and approaches it from multiple angles.

When a terminally ill woman dies much earlier than expected, Lord Peter Wimsey suspects murder: “First-rate detection” (The Cincinnati Enquirer). Though never quick-witted, Agatha Dawson had an iron constitution and a will to fight that never abated in her old age. Even after three operations failed to rid her of her cancer, she refused to give in. But as her body began to weaken, she accused lawyers, nurses, and doctors of trying to kill her and snatch her fortune. The town physician, an expert in cancer, gives her six months to live. Only three days later, she is dead. Though the autopsy reveals nothing surprising, the doctor suspects that Agatha’s niece had some hand in the old woman’s death. When Lord Peter Wimsey, the dashing gentleman detective, looks into the matter, he finds that death stalks all those who might testify. How can he continue his investigation when every question marks another innocent for murder? Unnatural Death is the 3rd book in the Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries, but you may enjoy the series by reading the books in any order. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Dorothy L. Sayers including rare images from the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College.

Miss Agatha Dawson, an elderly spinster suffering from cancer, passes away in her bed. Her GP, surprised by the suddenness of her death and unsatisfied as to its cause, orders and performs a post-mortem - which reveals no sign of foul play. But a scandal arises nonetheless. The locals, seeing the doctor's actions as tantamount to accusing Miss Dawson's niece and nurse of murder, ostracise him to the point where he sells his practice and leaves... Lord Peter Wimsey, upon hearing the tale, is intrigued, and mounts his own investigation. Then one of the old woman's maids turns up dead...

This astonishing and sobering account of government- and war-induced civilian deaths in the Soviet Union calculates that Soviet loss of life between 1928 and 1954 was far higher than Western ex-perts have ever believed. Applying mathematical techniques to Soviet demographic statistics, Dyadkin shows that Stalinist repres-sion and World War II must have taken the lives of between 43 and 52 million Soviet citizens. In the first period, 1929-36, one of collectivization, Stalin control-led and eliminated classes; during the Great Purge of 1937-38, mil-lions of Communist party members and bureaucrats were executed, and then the purge extended into the Red Army. Dyadkin shows that World War II took close to 30 million lives and that during 1950-53 another 450,000 died in prison camps.

A scientifically rigorous, multidisciplinary approach to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, for practitioners, researchers and families alike.

* JFK's autopsy failed to disclose crucial evidence. * The deaths of John Belushi and Elvis Presley were far more complex than anyone has let on. * Decisive medical findings in the von Bulow affair were consistently overlooked. These are but three of the shocking revelations in Dr. Michael Baden's first-person, no-holds-barred account of his distinguished career in forensic pathology. In determining the causes of tens of thousands of deaths, from those of presidents and rock stars to victims of serial killings, exotic sex rituals, mass disasters, child abuse and drug abuse, Baden has come to the unavoidable conclusion that the search for scientific truth is often sullied by the pressures of expediency. He produces dramatic evidence to demonstrate that political intrigue, influence peddling, and professional incompetence have created a national crisis in forensic medicine. "A fascinating look into the mechanics of forensics and a disconcerting lesson in the politics of death." -- The New York Times Book Review

Professional negligence cases are a minefield and clinical negligence cases are no exception. Providing invaluable advice from the leading experts in the field for each stage in a claim for clinical negligence. Full analysis of the relevant governing procedures and principles is provided, plus issues of funding and costs, including complaints procedures and procedures in the Court of Protection, as well as the interplay with human rights and the role of expert witnesses. The Eighth Edition ensures that practitioners maintain a progressive edge by providing useful precedents such as the latest model directions, instructions for experts and draft agendas for experts. It contains a new chapter on product liability and a separate Welsh chapter. It also includes coverage of the more than 250 reported cases concerning clinical negligence since the last edition. This includes: 2 in the Supreme Court 36 in the Court of Appeal - Civil Division 226 in the Queen's Bench Division 20+ in the county courts These cases cover a wide range of subjects from causation and breach of duty through to specifics relating to life expectancy and wrongful birth. An invaluable resource for all those involved in clinical negligence cases including personal injury and medical law solicitors, barristers and the judiciary. Medical doctors and legal advisors in NHS trusts will also find this a helpful guide. “This is a first class book, which provides a scholarly account of clinical negligence law”. Journal of Professional Negligence (Review of a previous edition)

A study of the way in which death is socially organized in the city of Belfast. It analyzes the responses to 415 deaths registered here in 1981, tracing the social, medical, legal, religious and political responses made to those deaths from the time death was pronounced to the time of disposal.

This astonishing and sobering account of government- and war-induced civilian deaths in the Soviet Union calculates that Soviet loss of life between 1928 and 1954 was far higher than Western ex­perts have ever believed. Applying mathematical techniques to Soviet demographic statistics, Dyadkin shows that Stalinist repres­sion and World War II must have taken the lives of between 43 and 52 million Soviet citizens. In the first period, 1929-36, one of collectivization, Stalin control­led and eliminated classes; during the Great Purge of 1937-38, mil­lions of Communist party members and bureaucrats were executed, and then the purge extended into the Red Army. Dyadkin shows that World War II took close to 30 million lives and that during 1950-53 another 450,000 died in prison camps.

Written in 1927, this is the third book in the Lord Peter Wimsey series and has recently been reissued by New English Library. It stands alone and could easily be read without having tried the previous titles, WHOSE BODY? and CLOUDS OF WITNESS. UNNATURAL DEATH begins with a chance encounter and conversation between Lord Peter and a doctor who tells him that he has been practically ruined because he was openly suspicious about the death of one of his patients. Unable to prove any foul play had taken place, he had been abandoned by his patients who were appalled by the attendant local publicity and the seemingly needless post-mortem that he had insisted upon. The doctor is unwilling to provide any details, but Lord Peter is intrigued by the possibility of a perfect murder and determines to identify the case and see if he can solve it.

This groundbreaking study of South Africa provides a unique look at the interplay of demographic, social and economic processes in a society undergoing rapid change as a result of the collapse of apartheid. It uses data from the first post-apartheid census as the basis for analysis of fertility, mortality within the context of HIV/AIDS, migration, education, employment, and household structure. These census data are complemented by large-scale household surveys and data from a partial registration system to study the relationships among various demographic, economic, and social phenomena. For the first time the demographic consequences of both the longer-term impact of apartheid policies and the policies of the new South Africa are examined and compared. This comprehensive reference links the demographic behavior of South Africa's various population groups to social, economic, and political inequalities created by policies of separate and unequal development. Prepared under the auspices of the Population Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania, it is an essential resource for all scholars and practitioners in the field.

The wealthy old woman was dead -- a trifle sooner than expected. The intricate trail of horror and senseless murder led from a beautiful hampshire village to a fashionable London flat and a deliberate test of amour -- staged by the debonair sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. "Here the modern detective story begins to come to its own; and all the historical importance aside, it remains an absorbing and charming story today."

England has traditionally been understood as a latecomer to the use of forensic medicine in death investigation, lagging nearly two-hundred years behind other European authorities. Using the coroner's inquest as a lens, this book hopes to offer a fresh perspective on the process of death investigation in medieval England. The central premise of this book is that medical practitioners did participate in death investigation – although not in every inquest, or even most, and not necessarily in those investigations where we today would deem their advice most pertinent. The medieval relationship with death and disease, in particular, shaped coroners' and their jurors' understanding of the inquest's medical needs and led them to conclusions that can only be understood in context of the medieval world's holistic approach to health and medicine. Moreover, while the English resisted Southern Europe's penchant for autopsies, at times their findings reveal a solid understanding of internal medicine. By studying cause of death in the coroners' reports, this study sheds new light on subjects such as abortion by assault, bubonic plague, cruentation, epilepsy, insanity, senescence, and unnatural death.

A Good Death is a candid and provocative account of the experiences of many terminally ill people Dr Rodney Syme has assisted to end their lives. Over the past thirty years Syme has challenged the law on voluntary euthanasia—at first clandestinely and now publicly—risking prosecution in doing so. He again risks prosecution for writing this book. A Good Death is a moving journey with those who came to Syme for help, and a meditation on what it means in our culture to confront death. It is also a doctor's personal story about the moral dilemmas and ethical choices he faces working within the grey areas of the law. In this important book, Rodney Syme argues for the end of the unofficial 'conspiracy' of silence within the medical profession and the decriminalisation of voluntary euthanasia in Australia. Through Syme's determination to tell the stories of those who he has assisted to die with dignity, A Good Death also draws wider lessons of value for those who find themselves in a similar situation.

Death and dying and death-related behavior involve the causes of death and the nature of the actions and emotions surrounding death among the living. Interest in the varied dimensions of death and dying has led to the development of death studies that move beyond medical research to include behavioral science disciplines and practitioner-oriented fields. As a result of this interdisciplinary interest, the literature in the field has proliferated. This two-volume resource addresses the traditional death and dying–related topics but also presents a unique focus on the human experience to create a new dimension to the study of death and dying. With more than 300 entries, the Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience includes the complex cultural beliefs and traditions and the institutionalized social rituals that surround dying and death, as well as the array of emotional responses relating to bereavement, grieving, and mourning. The Encyclopedia is enriched through important multidisciplinary contributions and perspectives as it arranges, organizes, defines, and clarifies a comprehensive list of death-related perspectives, concepts, and theories. Key Features Imparts significant insight into the process of dying and the phenomenon of death Includes contributors from Asia,; Africa; Australia; Canada; China; eastern, southern, and western Europe; Iceland; Scandinavia; South America; and the United States who offer important interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives Provides a special focus on the cultural artifacts and social institutions and practices that constitute the human experience Addresses death-related terms and concepts such as angel makers, equivocal death, end-of-life decision making, near-death experiences, cemeteries, ghost photography, halo nurses, caregiver stress, cyberfunerals, global religious beliefs and traditions, and death denial Presents a selective use of figures, tables, and images Key Themes Arts, Media, and Popular Culture Perspectives Causes of Death Conceptualization of Death, Dying, and the Human Experience Coping With Loss and Grief: The Human Experience Cross-Cultural Perspectives Cultural-Determined, Social-Oriented, and Violent Forms of Death Developmental and Demographic Perspectives Funerals and Death-Related Activities Legal Matters Process of DyingSymbolic Rituals, Ceremonies, and Celebrations of Life Theories and Concepts Unworldly Entities and Events With an array of topics that include traditional subjects and important emerging ideas, the Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience is the ultimate resource for students, researchers, academics, and others interested in this intriguing area of study.

A Medic's Guide to Essential Legal Matters offers practitioners highly practical advice on the legal principles which they need to apply to everyday clinical practice. Thirteen chapters cover key areas of medical law from the structure of the legal system, confidentiality, mental health capacity, through to current legal practices. Each chapter is written in an easy-to-digest format with helpful summary boxes covering key legal terms, laws, and statutes, and 'key point' boxes highlighting important take-home facts. An alphabetical glossary of legal terms at the end of the book offers a rapid reference that supports every chapter. A Medic's Guide to Essential Legal Matters has been carefully crafted to be concise yet informative and practical, covering the key aspects of this daunting subject. Written by a team of doctors and legal practitioners in the field of medical law, this resource offers you the expertise and experience needed to get to grips with medical law. A Medic's Guide to Essential Legal Matters includes access to online-only content, consisting of 65 multiple choice questions and answers that can be used to reinforce understanding, along with further reading sources to supplement and explore topics of interest. You can access and use this online material by activating your unique access code.

In this case study of the Republic of Geneva, Jeffrey R. Watt convincingly argues the early modern era marked decisive change in the history of suicide. His analysis of criminal proceedings and death records shows that magistrates of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries often imposed penalties against the bodies and estates of those who took their lives. According to beliefs shared by theologian John Calvin, magistrates, and common folk, self-murder was caused by demon possession. Similar views and practices were found among both Protestants and Catholics throughout Reformation Europe. By contrast, in the late eighteenth century many philosophies defended the right to take one's life under certain circumstances; Geneva’s magistrates in effect decriminalized suicide; and even commoners blamed suicide on mental illness or personal reversals, not on satanic influences. Watt uses Geneva's uniquely rich and well-organized sources in this first study to provide reliable evidence on suicide rates for premodern Europe. He places his findings within a wide range of historical and sociological scholarship, and while suicide was rare through the seventeenth century, he shows that Geneva experienced an explosion in self-inflicted deaths after 1750. Quite simply, early modern Geneva witnessed nothing less than the birth of modern suicide both in attitudes toward it—thoroughly secularized, medicalized, and stripped of diabolical undertones—and the frequency of it.