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A case of malignant hyperthermia (mh) in a 27-year-old man is described. In a first anaesthesia using isoflurane and succinylcholine, the end-tidal CO(2) rose from 39 to 49 mmHg 2.75 h post-intubation and the body temperature rose to 39.8 degrees C 14 h post-intubation but was normal again the next day. In a second anaesthesia using the same medication, the maximal end-tidal CO(2) was 44 mmHg and the body temperature rose to 39 degrees C after 9 h. After 4 days, the fever rose to 40 degrees C, and to 42 degrees C when death occurred 10 days after the second anaesthesia. Masseter spasms or muscle rigidity were never present. According to the death certificate, death was due to multi-organ failure from sepsis. At autopsy, the skeletal muscles were pale and oedematous. Histology demonstrated focal necroses in the skeletal muscles, shock kidneys with myoglobin excretion and myoglobin clots in small blood vessels of the lungs. Hence, the postmortem diagnosis "malignant hyperthermia" was established but accusations of medical maltreatment were rejected because of the atypical and protracted clinical course and because uncharacteristic signs of malignant hyperthermia were attributable to the clinically suspected sepsis.

A gunshot wound (.22 long rifle) to the chest including perforation of the aorta ascendens is presented. The small wound tract in soft tissue was characteristic for this type of ammunition and did not show any special peculiarities. However, arterial injury was not restricted to two small perforations, as expected in the light of previous wound ballistic findings. Three large longitudinal ruptures (3.0-4.5 cm in length and two of them independent of the perforations) additionally occurred, which led to rapid exsanguination. This extraordinary extent of vascular injury can be explained by perforation of the artery during the ventricular ejection phase, which causes a considerable dilation of the aorta analogous to a windkessel. The pre-existing dilation enables intraluminal temporary cavitation to have an "explosive" effect despite the high elastic tolerance to the vessel wall. The importance of tissue characteristics in gunshot wounds in general and the possible role of temporary cavitation inside the vessel in vascular gunshot wound production in particular are stressed.

The most common type of fatal pedestrian-car collision, i.e. a passenger car with a wedge or pontoon shaped front striking an erect adult with this front, was investigated. A reliable calculation of the impact velocity range by a technical expert and a comprehensive autopsy suitable for traffic accidents were performed in every case. A total of 47 fatalities form the material of this study and the impact velocities varied between 18 and 142 km/h. Primary and secondary injuries did not show a relationship to impact velocity. The occurrence of four types of indirect injuries revealed a clear relationship to impact velocity, i.e. spinal fractures, ruptures of the thoracic aorta, inguinal skin ruptures and dismemberment of the body. Important parameters such as the type of car, impact velocity range and indirect injuries are listed for each individual case. Because of the limited number of cases, the impact velocity ranges (3–30 km/h) instead of mean values were considered. A cautious interpretation of the data can be summarised in the following conclusions: If there is no spinal fracture, the velocity was below 70 km/h and probably below 50 km/h. Aortic and inguinal skin ruptures are always present if the velocity was above 100 km/h but never occurred below 50–60 km/h. If dismemberment occurs, the velocity was above 90 km/h. Consequently, an estimation of the impact velocity from the presence or absence of indirect injuries is possible in pedestrian-car collisions of the type examined. However, the selection criteria applied in this study and additional parameters influencing the collision dynamics have to be considered carefully.

Two suicides with home-made guns firing conventional ammunition are reported. Three different classes of homemade guns can be distinguished. Special characteristics of the interior and exterior ballistics of the home-made guns caused unusual muzzle imprints, intensive soot deposits at the entrance wounds and on the hands, intensive CO-effects, burns and in one case a skin laceration of the hand holding the weapon. The bullets showed a reduced penetration depth, characteristic firing marks were missing.

Three suicides and one homicide from black powder muzzle loading handguns are reported and the muzzle velocities of two weapons are recorded. The fatal head shots caused wide wound tracts traversing the brains and intracerebral haemorrhages remote from the tract were present in every case. The skulls showed considerable fractures which were pronounced in the cases of contact shots but were also present when the range of fire was 5 m. These extensive injuries from soft lead spheres with muzzle velocities of only approximately 200 m/s are attributed to the expansion of the spheres. The regularly occurring deformation resulted in 13-16 mm calibre missiles in the cases of .44 spheres. The special features of black powder such as incomplete and slow combustion resulted in intense soot deposits in the vicinity of the entrance wound and in long ranges the gunshot residues travelled. In contact shots, large pocket-like underminings even in deeper tissue layers, abundant soot along the trajectory and skin burns were observed.

Standardized histomechanical measurements on isolated normal human lungs were performed at 5,20, and 35 °C (on one lung from 5–50 °C with 5°C steps). There was an increase of dynamical compliance with

Three car accidents are described in which microtrace analysis was of special significance in the clarification of the seating positions. In all three cases the occupants were under the influence of alcohol. In each case the accident occurred at night and without witnesses. The pattern of injuries in two cases was non-specific. In the first case, no fiber traces were visible to the naked eye; in the other two the fibers were recognizable to the naked eye after close examination. In all three cases, the seating position was ascertained by means of fiber trace analysis.

Sex determination of a sufficient certainty is possible using measurements (length and breadth) obtained by X-rays of the human sternum. Body height may be determined by X-rays of the human sternum if a wide dispersion is given. The given relations and formulae are valid only when measuring the sterna of adults.