Things We've Learned Reading True Crime

[Hari]

Fishface wrote: "I learned this morning while reading Crime Archive: John Christie that it's apparently possible to examine a woman's vagina through a microscope. I genuinely yearn for an explanation..."

K.A. wrote: "Fishface wrote: "I learned this morning while reading Crime Archive: John Christie that it's apparently possible to examine a woman's vagina through a microscope. I genuinely yearn f..."


Many times people confuse vulva with vagina (including the orange guy in the White House). In this case, which do you think they meant?

[Fishface]

The fact is that unless they're talking about some sort of microscope I've never heard of, there is no way you can examine anyone's ladybits without putting a sample on a slide, which means either slices of frozen tissue or a swab. I can definitely imagine looking for evidence of bruising or tearing using a hand-held magnifying glass, but a microscope?

[Hari]

Fishface wrote: "The fact is that unless they're talking about some sort of microscope I've never heard of, there is no way you can examine anyone's ladybits without putting a sample on a slide, which means either ..."

I can't imagine any microscope that will fit into anyone's vagina! Boy, would that hurt! Bad enough a speculum up in there!

[Fishface]

(shudder)

[Diane in Australia]

Fishface wrote: "I learned this morning while reading Crime Archive: John Christie that it's apparently possible to examine a woman's vagina through a microscope. I genuinely yearn for an explanation..."

Is it referring to a colposcopy?

[Hari]

Diane in Australia wrote: "Fishface wrote: "I learned this morning while reading Crime Archive: John Christie that it's apparently possible to examine a woman's vagina through a microscope. I genuinely yearn f..."

Not to nit-pick, but a colposcopy is performed using a colposcope which is more like the instrument used for a colonoscopy, whereas if you Wikipedia "microscope" you will see there's no way one of putting one of THOSE into someone's vagina. It is possible to examine a woman's vagina using a colposcope, but technically this instrument is used to go deeper into the body from a point behind the uterine end of the cervix to look for free blood in the abdomen, denoting a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, if memory serves.

[Diane in Australia]

Hari wrote: "Not to nit-pick, but a colposcopy is performed using a colposcope which is more like the instrument used for a colonoscopy, whereas if you Wikipedia "microscope" you will see there's no way one of putting one of THOSE into someone's vagina. It is possible to examine a woman's vagina using a colposcope, but technically this instrument is used to go deeper into the body from a point behind the uterine end of the cervix to look for free blood in the abdomen, denoting a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, if memory serves."

I just had a colposcopy, so, I know a bit about it. Here is the clinical definition of a colposcope, "A colposcope is a binocular microscope to examine the cervix and other parts of the lower genital tract under magnified stereoscopic vision with good illumination." Description of a colposcope

This is what it looks like.



This is how it is used.



Having said all that, I'm still not sure this is the procedure that Fishface read about in Crime Archive: John Christie. Interesting topic, though. :)

[Fishface]

The only previous place I have heard of a colposcopy was in one of the books on the Black Dahlia case; she was supposedly looking into getting one because of female problems. The instrument does resemble a microscope, now that I see it. But has anyone here ever heard of using a colposcope at autopsy? Don't they just slice you the heck open and take a look?

[Diane in Australia]

Fishface wrote: "The only previous place I have heard of a colposcopy was in one of the books on the Black Dahlia case; she was supposedly looking into getting one because of female problems. The instrument does resemble a microscope, now that I see it. But has anyone here ever heard of using a colposcope at autopsy? Don't they just slice you the heck open and take a look?"

Yep, a colposcope is a binocular microscope. I would think you'd just slice it open during an autopsy, too. Is that what the book about John Christie was referring to? An autopsy?

[Fishface]

Diane in Australia wrote: "Is that what the book about John Christie was referring to? An autopsy? "

Yes, the autopsy of Beryl Evans.

[Diane in Australia]

Fishface wrote: "Yes, the autopsy of Beryl Evans."

Ah, okay, thanks. Sounds like a very interesting book.

[Fishface]

I'm still reading Ted Bundy: The Killer Next Door and the police are with Ted talking about how many crimes he could be charged with in how many states. He said "triple digits," but I'm wondering what exactly he means there. The guy steals and kills his way across the United States. He could mean hundreds of thefts. One stolen handbag after another -- he was busted with 230 stolen credit cards in Florida -- not to mention all the cars he made off with, all the drunk driving, all the shoplifting and at least one identity theft in progress when he was arrested for the last time.

I know drunk driving was not taken seriously at all in those days, but I wondered about the ID theft. Why charge him only with the Chi Omega murders when they had all the evidence they needed for an ID theft felony charge? Well, it turns out that ID theft wasn't illegal yet in those days, which would also explain why Kenny Bianchi never got charged for practicing as a psychologist using a stolen diploma and license.

[K.A.]

Huh, interesting. You'd think identity theft would have been illegal. I sure got told having a fake ID (for getting into bars) was illegal.

[Fishface]

I learned from reading The Mile End Murder that the phrase "being in the limelight" comes from a method of stage lighting that involves heating a cylinder of calcium oxide -- lime -- until it glows and gives off a soft, very natural light compared to the usual footlights. It could also be tinted so that a character in a melodrama who has been sent to hell can be bathed in red limelight. Those sent to heaven could be lit in pale blue instead. Who knew!

I just learned this second from reading Most Likely to Succeed that you can be in high school still and join the National Guard.

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Fishface wrote: "I learned from reading The Mile End Murder that the phrase "being in the limelight" comes from a method of stage lighting that involves heating a cylinder of calcium oxide -- lime -..."

I think I saw that in one of the many history videos I've watched lately.

[Fishface]

I just learned reading an article about uncaught serial killers that Japan has approximately 1 vending machine for every 23 people in the country.

[Fishface]

I just finally learned the origin of the word "junkie" to describe a heroin addict. Apparently even before the stuff was made illegal, addicts were already involved in a brisk, informal trade in scrap metal -- junk -- to finance their habits.

This trade is just as brisk today, of course. When we buried my dad in 2008 we were advised not to pay for one of those metal vases that comes attached to the plaque on the headstone. "Scrap metallers will just twist them off and sell them," the sales girl said.

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Fishface wrote: "I just learned reading an article about uncaught serial killers that Japan has approximately 1 vending machine for every 23 people in the country."

When you consider what you can buy in a vending machine in Japan ......