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تسجيل

Physical examination

المؤلف:  Sue Jickells , Adam Negrusz (Editors)

المصدر:  Clarkes Analytical Forensic Toxicology

الجزء والصفحة:  p58-59

2026-09-17

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Physical examination

 A natural starting point in any analytical procedure is the physical examination of the item in question. This may involve making a sketch or taking a photograph of the item. It invariably involves either taking some physical measurements, such as length or diameter, and/or a record of the number of items (e.g. number of tablets or the mass of the item in question). It may involve taking detailed notes on the type of wrapping material present. On many occasions, details such as these can become significant. Wrapping materials themselves can provide important evidence. For example, it may be possible to link seizures using physical fits, chemical composition of the packaging material, specific characteristics of a plastic polymer and marks produced during manufacture. While the physical appearance of a suspect material can sometimes give an early indication of the possible drug(s) present, it is only after chemical analysis that the full picture can emerge.