Wound

This term, in legal medicine, comprehends all lesions of the body, and in this it differs from the meaning of the word when used in surgery. The latter only refers to a solution of continuity, while the former comprises not only these, but also every other kind of accident, such as bruises, contusions, fractures, dislocations, and the like.

Under the statute 9 Geo. IV. it has been held in England, that to make a wound, in criminal cases, there must be "an injury to the person by which the skin is broken."

When a person is found dead from wounds, it is proper to inquire whether they are the result of suicide, accident, or homicide. In making the examination, the greatest attention should be bestowed on all the circumstances.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.