In North America, a "Y" incision typically begins an autopsy, explained a forensics pathology instructor Tuesday night, while brandishing a scalpel.

"That means a cut across the chest or shoulders down to the pubic bone," said Chris Mathieson, who demonstrated the incision as he spoke.

Reaching for what looked like a set of small pruning shears, he added, "Then we use the rib cutters."

The group of 30 watching Mathieson was dead quiet as he moved through the steps of how an autopsy is performed.

"The heart is the first organ that's removed," he said. "Then it's cut open so it can be studied."

In his blue medical gown, Mathieson could easily be confused for a professional pathologist addressing a group of interns. But despite his enthusiasm for the subject, Mathieson is no doctor--he's the executive director of the Vancouver Police Museum. His "interns" Tuesday night were mostly a mix of amateur writers and people interested in the macabre attending a workshop on forensic pathology. The "body" is a mannequin in a bodybag, and it remains untouched while Mathieson demonstrates autopsy techniques without doing any actual cutting.

The class is one in a series, Forensics for Adults, offered at the museum that also includes workshops on blood splatter and ballistics.

Until recently, forensic classes were offered only to children at the museum during spring break and through school programs. But so many parents expressed interest in the classes, Mathieson decided to schedule evening workshops to test the response. If the two sold-out classes Tuesday night were any indication, he has a winner.

The faux autopsy allows participants to see, feel and smell the procedure as it's happening. A small canister was passed around for the participants to smell, which Mathieson promised contained the authentic scent from an autopsy.

Workshop participant Natasha Hoar, who said she's a writer of paranormal romance, was interested in the authentic details of a real autopsy.

"Anything that adds a bit of reality," said Hoar, who also attended a previous blood splatter workshop.

Writer Dan Anderson attended the workshop not only to witness the autopsy, but also because of the history of the building.

"This is CSI Vancouver," he said.

The building that houses the museum was built in 1932 and once housed the coroner's court, the city's analyst's laboratory, the morgue and autopsy facilities. The analyst's lab was last used in 1995. According to Mathieson, 15,000 autopsies were performed in the building, including 30 victims of the collapse of the Second Narrows Bridge in 1958. The coroner's court was where many of the city's most infamous cases were investigated, including the Castellani Milkshake Murder, the Babes in the Woods case, and the autopsy of movie legend Errol Flynn, who died in a West End apartment in 1959.

The coroner's facility moved in 1980 and the morgue and autopsy functions were transferred to Vancouver General Hospital. Between 1980 and 1986, when the museum opened, the old courtroom was a popular location for filming TV series, movies and music videos.

For more information, see vancouverpolicemuseum.ca or call 604-665-3346.

sthomas@vancourier.com