Scalds A scald is an injury from the application of fluid above 60 or from steam. Because of the cooling of the liquid due to evaporation, the lesion due to scald is not very deep. However the latent heat of the viscid fluid is high and hence, the penetration capacity of heat of such liquids is more. Thus an injury caused by hot tar, syrup, oil, etc is comparatively deeper than that caused by hot water. Ref: TEXTBOOK OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND TOXICOLOGY KRISHNAN VIJ FIFTH EDITION PAGE 169