Medico-legal autopsies and others performed in the Department of Legal Medicine, Shimane Medical University during 10 years from 1978 to 1987 were statistically analyzed. In a total of 213 cases (autopsy, 196; identification of skeletal structures, 8; inspection of living bodies, 3; paternity testing, 1; object judgement, 5), the incidence of the cases was higher in males (139 cases) than in females (66 cases). The most frequent causes of deaths were heart failure in natural death, carbon monoxide poisoning in poisoning , sharp wound in murder, fire and poisoning in suicide, traffic injuries and fire in accident, and drowning in other external death. In the age group distribution of the cases compared with the population in Shimane prefecture, the high incidence was in the age of 20 and 40 in males (died mainly by drowning) and more than 80 in both males and females (died by fire). In general, the incidence was specifically higher in winter. July and October.