SUICIDAL CYANIDE INGESTION AS DETAILED IN FINAL EXIT

Final Exit is an ''informational aid'' advocating the practice of acti ve euthanasia and describing the proper method for the foolproof commi ssion of suicide. Although it has been directed toward assisting the t erminally ill patient who desires to terminate suffering, it has been suggested that the widespread availability of this book may result in its abuse. Specifically, there is growing concern that ''do-it-yoursel f suicide manuals'' could bring about the fruition of suicidal ideatio ns that are relatively common among mentally ill patients and impressi onable adolescents. Described is the suicidal ingestion of cyanide by a physically healthy 30-year-old man. His diary, found next to the bod y, contains a recipe for suicide copied verbatim from Derek Humphry's Final Exit. Although the decedent's history, the scene investigation, and the external examination strongly suggest an underlying psychiatri c disorder, postmortem examination disclosed minimal underlying physic al disease. This case graphically illustrates the abuse potential of t his literary genre. To our knowledge, this is the first case of its ki nd to appear in the literature. We recommend tl;at forensic pathologis ts and medical investigators familiarize themselves with the methods o f suicide described in Final Exit.