When I gladly responded to the request made to me by the publisher to produce a handbook atlas of forensic medicine, it was because the need for illustrations, just as in other disciplines, is becoming increasingly evident in forensic medicine as well. This need can only be addressed to a limited extent within the framework of textbooks, and for the first time, there was an opportunity to provide an easily accessible work that enables both the ordinary practicing physician and the student to inform themselves about the most important forensic medical occurrences without significant expense. The illustrations provided are all originals, taken either from recent cases or museum specimens. Some are borrowed from foreign, yet also original, observations.