104: Chapter 102: Slender 104: Chapter 102: Slender The morgue refrigeration units in Langgu County could reach temperatures of negative 18 degrees Celsius.

With this basic condition met, it was acceptable even if the autopsy room conditions were slightly lacking.

However, even if a body was preserved at negative 18 degrees, there would still be some changes.

For example, this particular corpse had taken on a blue-black color, and in the worst areas, the skin color had completely changed to that deep blue-black, somewhat reminiscent of a Qing Dynasty official’s uniform.

If the entire body turned this color, it might give off a faint zombie-like impression.

Secondly, the fingernails underwent significant change.

To laypeople uneducated in forensic science, the nails of this long-stored corpse appeared to have grown — again evoking that slight, traditional Chinese zombie touch.

However, those who had studied forensic science would understand that the nails hadn’t grown; it was the fingers that had shrunk, making the nails seem longer.

Jiang Yuan observed the body, and Li Zhen observed him.

In terms of age alone, Li Zhen was almost three times older than Jiang Yuan.

In terms of seniority, Li Zhen was a peer of Wu Jun in forensic medicine, who would have given him a scolding back in their younger days.

Of course, that wouldn’t fly now.

Furthermore, since Jiang Yuan had been brought in by someone from the provincial department, Li Zhen had to give him face, if not for the monk then for the Buddha.

But beyond these social niceties, Li Zhen didn’t have a high opinion of Jiang Yuan at all.

Lacking experience was an objective fact from Li Zhen’s perspective.

Young forensic doctors had seen and worked on fewer corpses, which meant they lacked experience.

And in forensic medicine, much of it actually stems from practice, with emphasis on details and an understanding of life.

For instance, worn knees could result from work, running, or illness.

Li Zhen could tell at a glance, whereas forensic interns would be clueless.

This was even more the case in forensic pathology, and stepping further into Forensic Anthropology, the details became even more intricate, beyond even Li Zhen’s expertise.

And Jiang Yuan…

Li Zhen simply scorned him in silence.

He didn’t wish to speak harshly; he just watched Jiang Yuan work, waiting to respectfully see him off once he was satisfied.

Jiang Yuan didn’t much need Li Zhen’s assistance either.

As long as the other party didn’t interfere or ramble, Jiang Yuan was grateful.

The two complemented each other well, making the atmosphere in the autopsy room surprisingly harmonious.

The customary external examination of the body didn’t provide much information.

Jiang Yuan quickly moved on to examining the bones.

There was nothing left in the corpse’s abdominal and thoracic cavities, and the skull — or rather the head itself — wasn’t there at all.

The pelvic cavity was a mess, likely due to wild animal predation, but most of the bones were intact, enough to reconstruct the shape of the pelvis.

Li Zhen’s main contribution was reconstructing the pelvis, thus determining the sex and reproductive status of the corpse.

However, these were basic forensic tasks that weren’t extraordinary or problem-solving.

Jiang Yuan sorted through the bones, thinking hard.

The difference between Forensic Anthropology and other forensic techniques is that the former focuses more on a particular point rather than the whole.

In short, the comprehensiveness of Forensic Anthropology serves the parts.

Or to say, it is actually quite difficult for Forensic Anthropology to cover every aspect.

After all, the longer the time since death, the better approach is to determine some information through the bones, and use that to infer the dead person’s identity.

It’s not about tirelessly trying to capture more comprehensive information.

Some information is ultimately difficult to obtain.

Pursuing completeness itself is inappropriate.

For Jiang Yuan, the corpse in front of him actually provided plenty of information already.

But identifying her still seemed to be a difficult task.

“It’s tricky without the skull.

With the skull, we might be able to identify her through dental records or something,” Li Zhen suddenly lamented, offering Jiang Yuan a way out.

In the words he taught his apprentices: if you can’t do it, just don’t.

Single-mindedly insisting on it is a common rookie mistake among young forensic doctors, as if tirelessly working would somehow produce the answer.

In Li Zhen’s experience, performing an autopsy without a clear direction was often futile.

Looking at Jiang Yuan’s approach, though he might have some idea, Li Zhen doubted whether an inexperienced young man could achieve anything substantial.

Especially seeing Jiang Yuan fiddling with the arms and moving the legs around, Li Zhen found it almost laughable.

Autopsies were never a business of haphazardly hammering east and clubbing west–it was utterly…

“Marfan syndrome,” Jiang Yuan suddenly straightened up and said.

Li Zhen, being older, took a few seconds to grasp what had been said and repeated, “Marfan syndrome?”

“Yes, tall stature, thin limbs, very little subcutaneous fat…” Jiang Yuan listed the matching features, then pulled the corpse’s arm down and added, “And the hands stretch beyond the knees.”

Each of these traits, on their own, sounds quite favorable, but combined, they are sufficient to make one suspect Marfan Syndrome.

In modern populations, the incidence of Marfan Syndrome is relatively high, and many people know of carriers of this genetic disease around them.

Because the symptoms often align with modern aesthetic standards, some individuals with Marfan Syndrome are quite popular.

Particularly in youth, many are selected as athletes due to their long limbs and height.

However, the destructive nature of Marfan Syndrome is also very direct.

Various skeletal abnormalities, such as funnel chest or scoliosis.

Heart conditions associated with the aorta and mitral valve, as well as eye problems and so on, all cause extreme pain for individuals with Marfan Syndrome.

The older they get, the greater the damage.

Li Zhen recalled the key points related to Marfan Syndrome and then compared them one by one.

Eye problems…

the head was gone.

Heart disease…

the heart had been removed.

Spine and sternum…

were all intact.

The several points that could easily bring it to mind were problematic, but proving it was Marfan Syndrome was not difficult; the real challenge lay in thinking to prove it.

Li Zhen and Jiang Yuan’s gaze fell on the deceased’s hands.

Wearing gloves, Jiang Yuan took the deceased’s hand and made her hand form a fist—the thumb inside and the other four fingers outside, unlike a normal fist.

Under this fist position, the tip of the deceased’s thumb extended beyond the ulnar edge, which is the side of the palm where the little finger is.

Jiang Yuan’s eyes involuntarily lit up.

If this were to be a clinical diagnosis, further examination and testing would be necessary.

But on the forensic autopsy table, this finding was already sufficient.

For certainty, Jiang Yuan grabbed the deceased’s right hand and wrapped it around the left wrist.

In this movement, normal people’s thumbs and pointers either cannot touch each other or can only barely touch.

But the thumb of an individual with Marfan Syndrome can easily cover the pointer finger…

“It is indeed Marfan Syndrome.” Li Zhen couldn’t help feeling annoyed: Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

For a forensic doctor, Marfan Syndrome is definitely not an unfamiliar condition, although for Li Zhen, it was somewhat difficult.

In Langgu County, there are very few carriers of the Marfan Syndrome gene, or if there are, they rarely die in the county.

In his previous autopsies, Li Zhen had also encountered bodies involving Marfan Syndrome.

It was normal, perhaps, that he could not recall immediately…

“I’ll call Director Liu,” Jiang Yuan said as he took off his gloves.

Li Zhen remained silent.

The body was right there.

Jiang Yuan had noticed what he had missed—it was a pure display of technical superiority.

He had no response.

With another body without a head, Li Zhen always thought, “It’s a pity there are no teeth,” “There are no implants in the body,” and ultimately he failed to detect Marfan Syndrome.

It wasn’t all that strange.

…

On the other side, receiving the call, Liu Jinghui was also a bit startled.

His mind quickly turned, and he understood the value of what Jiang Yuan had discovered, asking, “Should we check the medical records to narrow down to this person?”

“In the missing persons records, look for females over 30 years of age with a history of childbirth, over 165 centimeters tall, having Marfan Syndrome—the number shouldn’t be too many,” Jiang Yuan articulated without going into too much detail.

With Marfan Syndrome as a basis, locating the person should be easy.

Liu Jinghui agreed and hung up the phone, then continued staring ahead in a daze.

Across from him, a poultry vendor, giddy with excitement, had just bundled up a large rooster, boasting, “Our Langgu County’s chickens have always been famous.

I collected these chickens from the countryside, each raised for at least a year or two.

Look at these claws, look at this beak…”

He brought the red-combed rooster close to Liu Jinghui, pointing insistently.

Liu Jinghui coughed twice: “Boss, I’ve had a change of plans…”

The poultry vendor’s face darkened, and the chicken he was holding dared not crow: “I’ve collected these especially for you from the countryside.”

“I know, but the thing is…”

“Let me tell you, eating chicken is part of life,” the poultry vendor argued, shaking the rooster to make it nod, adding, “Chicken is good for men.”