[About the problem of "lungs in drowning" (author's transl)]

In order to remove any misunderstanding I would like to reply to the publication by HEINEN und DOTZAUER as follows: The statements and conclusions of the authors must inevitably give rise to the impression that my detailed investigations of the reticular fibre texture of the drowned lung is to a large extent non-specific and thus of no use for an expert opinion on death by drowning. The authors, who base their statements on a dissertation by Mrs. HEINEN, have apparently overlooked the differences in aetiology between typical and atypical drowning and thus also have misunderstood the pathogenesis of the typical drowned lung both with respect to gross and fine tissue aspects. Characteristic of typical drowning is acute diffuse bronchostenotic emphysems of the lung.