In an investigation on
fibrin formation in skin cut
wounds on guinea pigs using scanning electron microscopy, it was established that immediately after the infliction of cuts on live animals, a fine, netlike fiber structure of
fibrin forms that gradually covers the entire wounded surface. In the period early after the cuts blood-forming elements attach to the
fibrin net through numerous fine
fibrin fibers, which incorporate a great number of thrombocytes. Postmortem investigations of these
wounds showed that the
fibrin net formed preserves its structure. It was also established that a
fibrin net forms over skin
wounds that were inflicted at different periods after death. In the
wounds in the early periods after death, the
fibrin net formed was very similar to the one established on
wounds inflicted on living animals. Our investigation describes some peculiar characteristics of the
fibrin net formed in living animals; there is a fine fiberlike net and the quantity is definitely larger. These characteristics permit the establishment of whether the
wounds occurred before death and how much time has lapsed since then.