ABSTRACT
Though traditionally every textbook of forensic medicine has a chapter entitled ‘Asphyxia’, it is a partial misnomer, as many of the conditions described under this heading are not truly asphyxial in nature. It is difficult to find a succinct alternative, however, unless each subcondition is described individually – and some deaths have a mixed aetiology. The conventional title is therefore retained in this book, though it is emphasized that ‘asphyxia’ is both inappropriate and inaccurate when applied to many of the mechanisms of death formerly ascribed to this cause.
