A body is exhumed three years after burial because strychnine poisoning is suspected. Which statement about postmortem detection of strychnine is correct?

• A Strychnine is destroyed within days and cannot be detected after one week
• B Strychnine converts to brucine after death, so the original alkaloid is lost
• C Strychnine can be detected only if blood was preserved at the time of death
• D Strychnine remains detectable in decomposed and even skeletonised remains for years ✓

Explanation

Strychnine is remarkably stable in the body and resists putrefaction, so it can be recovered from decomposed viscera, dried tissues and even bones many years after death, making it a classic poison detectable on exhumation. It is not converted to brucine, which is a separate naturally occurring alkaloid found alongside strychnine in Nux vomica seeds. Blood preservation is not required since solid organs and bone yield adequate samples.

Reference: Parikh's Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 7th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.