Medical advice needed

EFCollins said:

I've been working on a novella where the antagonist is a woman who has sex with men, tortures them and eats their testes. Yeah, it's not pretty, but I need some help with it.

My two protagonists are a police detective and a medical examiner (I know, I know). I have the police thing taken care of, but lack the medical know how to write this properly. I have the basics of autopsy licked, but need a few minor points in which I need advice.

A) Fraternal twin DNA-- how closely does the DNA of fraternal twins resemble? Is there a difference between the two? I know with identical twins, they have identical DNA, but for some reason, info on fraternal twins is hard for me to find.

B) How closely does a medical professional look at murder victims? Do they count lacerations? (This is an important part of my story, as the antagonist "counts" her victims by the number of stab marks she leaves behind)

C)How long would it take for a person to bleed out from over three hundred shallow (less than a quarter inch) stab wounds and the removal of their genitalia?

That should do it for now, although I may run into more questions to which i need answers. Thanks a million to any who offer advice.

Peace and love, y'all
~Ellen

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Are you sure I wasn't married to you once?

A. Fraternal twins. DNA is no different than for brothers and/or sisters of differing ages. In other words, it's closely related (like that of other sibs), but not more alike because they shared a womb. The "twinning" doesn't come into play for fraternal twins as far as DNA is concerned.

B. Medical examiners count stab marks. They also measure the depth of the wounds, the length, width, etc.

C. No clue. Maybe someone else can help.

Remind me not to ask to borrow your cookbook.

I don't have a medical background, but I'd think you could make a lot of quarter inch cuts before you killed someone. They'd probably die from infection before loss of blood. The loss of their genitalia would cause considerable blood loss (not to mention trauma). If the victim had the chance to apply pressure to the wound, he may survive the blood loss there too.
Your stab wounds would need to be much deeper, a couple inches at least, to get down to where the big veins and arteries are located.

EFCollins said:

C)How long would it take for a person to bleed out from over three hundred shallow (less than a quarter inch) stab wounds and the removal of their genitalia?

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I can't comment on the blood loss from removing genitals, i think my husband might freak out slighlty if i asked! With the stab wounds, even three hundred of them, at that depth they're not going to cause fatal blood loss unless somewhere within those three hundred you nick an artery or significant vein.

When farmers castrate lambs or calves, they just cut them off. The severed arteries clamp down tightly, and there is not much blood loss. The little guys just scamper off. It seems likely the same thing would happen with a human male.

The difference might be clamping vs not clamping though. Our foal was castrated, clamped but the wound was otherwise open; can't say he scampered off though! I think for the OP, there wouldn't be any clamping? May make the difference.

2 pounds testicles
2 cups beer
2 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmea1
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil**
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

** Use enough vegetable oil to fill your frying container halfway to the top (to allow for bubbling up and splattering) and to completely cover the testicles while frying.
With a very sharp knife, split the tough skin-like muscle that surrounds each testicle. Remove the skin (you can remove the skin easily if the testicles are frozen, then peel while thawing). Slice each testicle into approximately 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick ovals. Place slices in a large pan or blow with enough beer to cover them; cover and let sit 2 hours.
In a shallow bowl, combine eggs, flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Remove testicles from beer; drain and dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture. In a large, deep pot, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Deep fry 3 minutes or until golden brown (will rise to the surface when done). Drain on paper towels.
Serve warm with your favorite hot pepper sauce.


It's the beer that makes the difference.

From what I've seen in ER (yes, we get some sick crap), I would say 1 hour or less for the bleed-out time since the murderer is not going to clap off after removing the testes. The cuts would cause minimal blood loss, but the amputation is going to bleed profusely.

I hope that helped.

EFCollins said:

C)How long would it take for a person to bleed out from over three hundred shallow (less than a quarter inch) stab wounds and the removal of their genitalia?
~Ellen

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Removing the testes severs some good-sized arteries and veins, and in 5-15 minutes they'll be unconscious from the blood loss.

The stab wounds - if she hits something shallow, like the arm veins, that will speed the process.

Sorry I wasn't clear in my post - the severed arteries go into spasm. They clamp themselves, at least in sheep. Nothing mechanical is required. I don't think there would be much blood loss at all.

Isn't it possible that the victim would pass out from the trauma and pain of amputation before much time had passed--before actually bleeding to death?
The killer wouldn't get the sadistic pleasure of all that feasting before his very eyes, I imagine....

(a question I hope to never have any personal experience answering, I might add)

Palmfrond said:

Sorry I wasn't clear in my post - the severed arteries go into spasm. They clamp themselves, at least in sheep. Nothing mechanical is required. I don't think there would be much blood loss at all.

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There are many variables. You are talking about castrating a juvenile, who has smaller arteries. The smaller the artery, the more likely that it will clot off if transected. Also castration techniques vary. Clamping and avulsion cause more vascular injury and so are more likely to result in thrombosis, A straight clean cut on an adult sized testicular artery might clot off, but probably not in most cases. Of course as the blood pressure drops, thrombosis becomes more likely. So for the OP, if a character passes out and slumps to the floor, gets left for dead and then wakes up 12 hours later; that is believable. He'll be weak and tired for a month or so until the blood builds back up, so avoid chasing after that. I'm not up to doing calculations but the cardiac output to the testes is (just estimating, not intended to be hardline factual) probably only about 1% so it would take maybe even a couple hours. Also pulling on the testes while removing them, even in men who've had a spinal anaesthetic will result usually in nausea.

Mountain Oysters...Peel them while frozen or after cooking. Trying to do it thawed will make a mess. That tunica is a fibrous sheath that is one of the toughest substances in the body. However the testis itself is much like a jumbled mass of yarn.

You can bread them like Stephanie said, but I like them better sauteed in olive oil seasoned with garlic and white pepper and served with onions plus or minus an alfredo sauce and capellini.

I so love the conversations in a writer's community!

You might also see if there's anything on castration regarding eunichs. I believe once they were castrated, the death rate was rather high, but that's off ancient memories. You might check out castranos (the boys castrated to keep their pre-pubescent high-pitched voices) for reverences as well.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

You should call a vet and tell the vet your situation. What happens in male dogs probably happens in male humans.

Palmfrond said:

When farmers castrate lambs or calves, they just cut them off. The severed arteries clamp down tightly, and there is not much blood loss. The little guys just scamper off. It seems likely the same thing would happen with a human male.

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That's true with an immature male. A post-pubescent male is going to bleed a lot more. There is a *definite* danger of bleeding to death for a mature male.

The stories I've heard of orchis that didn't take place under a doctor's care rarely end well. I keep trying to think if I know anyone *personally* who has done that, and I think they've all been friends of friends, which is always a bit less reliable.

DeleyanLee said:

I so love the conversations in a writer's community!

You might also see if there's anything on castration regarding eunichs. I believe once they were castrated, the death rate was rather high, but that's off ancient memories. You might check out castranos (the boys castrated to keep their pre-pubescent high-pitched voices) for reverences as well.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

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You might also try looking for info on Galla/Gallae and "Time of Blood" (or maybe "Day of Blood"). You could also probably find something under hjira.