In distinguishing death due to traumatic shock from death due to disease, the author compares autopsy findings of a 13-year-old boy who was concluded to have died of traumatic shock from numerous beatings and those of a 21- year-old who died of hemorrhagic pneumonia. Injury was found to be the cause of death in both instances. Another case examined involved death from shock due to binding with a rope. Other cases involved the beating of a child and the re-evaluation of human autopsy cases. The animal study reported consisted of the determination of cause of death when the lower extremity of a rabbit was occluded with a manchette for children. Shock ensued after the release of the occlusion. Other cases examined pertained to the presence or absence of a wound and its evaluation, suspected murder due to manual strangulation, and determination of the time of trauma. The author advises that the first requirement in a death investigation is to determine whether or not death due to trauma involves a criminal act. This cannot be determined until an autopsy proves conclusively that the trauma caused death and that the trauma was inflicted by a criminal act. 28 figures