BLUNT FORCE INJURY DEATH OFTEN CAN BE CONFUSED WITH DEATH FROM FALLS OR DEATH RESULTING FROM ACUTE ALCOHOLISM. SINCE THE VICTIM OF BLUNT FORCE INJURY CAN LIVE FOR SOME TIME AFTER THE OCCURRENCE OF THE INJURY, OLD INJURIES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN AUTOPSIES BUT SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED AS AN EXPLANATION OF DEATH WITHOUT COMPLETELY EXAMINING THE BODY. CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF BLUNT FORCE INJURIES THAT CAN BE DISCOVERED DURING AUTOPSY EXAMINATIONS ARE ILLUSTRATED. THE BRAIN SHOULD ALWAYS BE THOROUGHLY EXAMINED IN AN AUTOPSY AND WILL CONTAIN MUCH INFORMATION ON BLUNT FORCE INJURIES. MANY EXAMPLES OF DEATHS BY POISONING ARE DISCUSSED. SYMPTOMS OF POISONING ARE SIMILAR TO SYMPTOMS OF NATURAL DISEASE AND THESE DEATHS ARE LIKELY BE DIAGNOSED AS SUCH. AGAIN, EXAMINATION OF THE BRAIN CAN SUPPLY MUCH INFORMATION ON THE POSSIBILITY AND TYPE OF POISONING. THE DELAYED DEATH PROCESS INVOLVED IN POISONING CAN RESULT IN MANY SMALL BRAIN HEMORRHAGES. (DAG)