MIND YOUR MANNERS .1. HISTORY OF DEATH CERTIFICATION AND MANNER OF DEATH CLASSIFICATION

Every death is unique, but deaths also share similar features that all ow them to be grouped into categories. Since its initial description o ver 800 years ago, the position of coroner has been charged with the d etermination of manner of death. This determination has been made by e xamination into the circumstances surrounding death and of wounds on t he surface of the body. Over the years, physicians have gained suffici ent understanding of the body such that the autopsy became an importan t part of a death investigation. With additional time, laws were chang ed so that individuals charged with the determination of manner of dea th were required to have appropriate training. Death certification is the means by which deaths are grouped together according to similar ch aracteristics. The practice of death certification has led to effectiv e public health programs and the advancement of medical science. The a ddition of manner of death to the death certificate is an American con tribution to vital statistics registration. The purpose of the autopsy report differs from that of the death certificate; the report fully a ddresses the unique aspects of a death, while the certificate captures the essence of the circumstances surrounding death in a few words.