Hemopoietic diseases such as sickle-cell anemia and thalassemia, most common in Negroes and individuals of Mediterranean derivation, often produce skeletal lesions or cranial changes. A number of infectious diseases, such as brucellosis, echinococcosis, and coccidioidomycosis, show occupational or geographical variability in their distribution. Circulatory disturbances similarly show racial affinities: Perthes' disease is rare in Negroes, while slipped femoral capital epiphyses is not. Gaucher's disease, a metabolic disorder, is significantly more common among those of Hebrew, particularly Ashkenazic, descent. Chronic intake of fluorine can result in skeletal and dental defects that may provide a clue to geographic region of a victim. While racial determinations based on skeletal remains are more difficult than determinations of age or sex, osseous lesions can prove useful in establishing features such as ancestry or geographic derivation. Photographs and 37 references.