If, however, the officer feels that the job
is too difficult or is beyond his scope, consideration should be given
to cutting off the hands or fingers of the deceased and forwarding
them to the Identification Division of the FBI for processing. If this
course is decided upon, it is reiterated that local statutes governing
the cutting of the dead must be complied with and proper authorization
must be secured.

[Illustration: 407]

In order to facilitate the transmission of such specimens to the FBI
the following suggestions are made:

First, it is deemed most desirable, when possible, to have both of the
hands, severed at the wrist, forwarded in their entirety (fig. 407).
It is desired that the hands, rather than each separate finger, be
sent inasmuch as it eliminates the possibility of getting the fingers
mixed up or incorrectly labeled. If, however, it is not possible to
send the hands for some reason, then, of course, the fingers should be
cut off and forwarded. In cutting, the fingers should be cut off at
the palm beginning with the right thumb, then the right index, ring,
etc., just as though they were to be printed. As soon as each finger
is cut off it should be placed in an individual container, such as a
small glass jar, and immediately marked as to which particular finger
it is.

In the event that the hands or fingers of more than one dead are being
transmitted, it is absolutely necessary that not only the fingers be
properly labeled but that each body also be given an identifying
number or symbol which must be indicated on the hands or fingers cut
from that body as well, in order to avoid the embarrassing situation
of identifying the hands and not knowing from which body they were
cut.

In shipping, the hands, fingers, or skins may be placed in preserving
solutions such as 5-percent solution of formaldehyde, 5-percent
solution of alcohol, or embalming fluid. When hands or fingers are
desiccated (dried out), however, it is most desirable that they be
placed in airtight containers and sent without any preservative. If
glass containers are used, the specimens should be packed in such a
manner as to avoid breakage. Dry ice is a suitable preservative for
transmitting such specimens but it should not be used when shipping
will take more than 24 hours.

In making up a package using dry ice, the hands or fingers, properly
tagged, should be placed in cellophane or paper bags. A material such
as sawdust, shaving