Medicine, forensic

Medicine, forensic
The branch of medicine that deals with the application of medical knowledge to legal problems and legal proceedings. Forensic medicine is also called legal medicine. A physician may be engaged in forensic (or legal) medicine; a lawyer with comparable interests is said to be engaged in medical jurisprudence. The word "forensic" has an unusual history. It comes from the Latin word "forensis" pertaining to a forum. In ancient Rome the forum was a market place where people gathered, not just to buy things, but also to conduct all kinds of business, including that of public affairs. The meaning of "forensic" later came to be restricted to refer to the courts of law. The word entered English usage in 1659.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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