Violence is a steadily increasing feature of modern When a doctor is called to a scene of death wounds society caused by devices such as motor vehicles, indus­ may readily be visible on the corpse. His careful exam­ trial equipment and aircraft, which are fabricated by ination and interpretation of the injuries can provide man, or caused by man himself. There are few practi­ valuable assistance to the police in the early stages of tioners of medicine who will not encounter wounding any investigation that may follow. He may be able to in some form in the course of a lifetime of practice. say that the wound was self-inflicted, or he may think Most wounds will require his skills in treatment; others that the wound had been inflicted homicidally. The demand interpretation because the appearance of the events that follow such interpretations are clearly very wound itself and the pattern in which wounds may be different so far as the police are concerned. For this, arranged can provide much information about the ways and other reasons, a detailed knowledge of wounds and in which they have been caused. For example, the wounding is an essential part of medical training. grouping and position of wounds can suggest whether Scientific investigation of the whole subject of trauma the injuries were inflicted accidentally, suicidally or in has been advancing very slowly over the years.