Originally posted by Fisherman
View Post
This is Phillips in the Tele:
Baxter: How long had the deceased been dead when you saw her?
Phillips: I should say at least two hours, and probably more; but it is right to say that it was a fairly cold morning, and that the body would be more apt to cool rapidly from its having lost the greater portion of its blood.
Now in the Evening Standard, Sep 14:
Baxter: How long had the deceased been dead when you first saw the body?
Phillips: I should say at least two hours, and probably more, but it is right in connection with that opinion to say that it was a fairly cold morning, and that the body would be more apt to cool rapidly from its having lost the greater portion of its blood.
With respect to the principle; the most detail, wins - we have to base our judgment of Phillips estimate, on the words recorded by the reporter for the Standard, not the Telegraph.
Thus, Phillips is saying it would not only be valid to suppose that the combined effect of ambient temperature and blood loss on body cooling, could reduce his minimum time since death, but indeed, these variables should be factored into his own estimate.
In other words, Phillips' minimum estimate is actually 2 hours, minus the effect of blood loss on the rate of cooling.
Comment