Then a general description of the body with regards to race, sex, hair color and length, eye color, age, and identifying features is recorded. A plastic or rubber brick called the body block is placed under the back of the corpse causing the chest to protrude forward and making it easier to cut open. The body is then transported to the autopsy room and placed on the autopsy table. The person's weight is then determined by subtracting the weight of the cart from the total weight seen on the scale. Often, the scale is large enough to accommodate the cart that the body is transported on. After the body is cleaned, it is weighed and measured. This is followed by cleaning the body for the actual examination. Once the evidence is collected, the body is removed from the bag, undressed and the wounds if any are examined. The body may also be X-rayed at this stage. Sometimes special ultraviolet radiation is used to search the body for evidence that may not be easily visible to the naked eye. Samples of hair, finger nails etc are taken at this stage. Then evidence like gun powder residue, paint flakes etc are collected from the external surfaces of the body.
Then the examiner notes the clothes and the position of the clothes on the body before they are removed. After the body is received, it is first photographed. The person responsible for handling, moving, cleaning the body is often called a diener (the German word for servant).
A preliminary autopsy photograph of a middle aged woman