ABSTRACT
The pathologist inevitably needs the expertise of the laboratory analyst and the latter’s knowledge of the therapeutic, toxic and fatal levels of the substances under consideration. Such data must, however, be evaluated in the knowledge of other pathological and physiological conditions present, so that it is the pathologist, rather than the laboratory toxicologist, who should provide the final opinion upon the proximate cause of death. This does not always happen and some laboratory report forms may be seen that unequivocally – and unwisely – state that a particular drug caused the death.
