The topic of this program is the use of forensic medicine in scientific crime detection. A film shows Dr. Russell S. Fisher, lecturer in forensic medicine at Johns Hopkins University and chief medical examiner for the state of Maryland, at work in his lab. He is assisted by a team consisting of a secretary, chemists, a photographic specialist, doctors, police, and specialists in the physical sciences. In dealing with crimes of violence or mysterious death, Dr. Fisher asks: Who is the victim? Is it murder or suicide? When did it happen? How did it happen? Who did it? He shows a photo of a charred body and explains when and how the death occurred and the importance of an autopsy and a post-mortem examination. Dr. Fisher compares blood samples and explains how they are used by a courtroom doctor to exonerate or convict the accused. Using sketches from Lynn Poole's book "Science, the Super Sleuth," Dr. Fisher describes what he looks for in knifing murders. He also tells the case of the arsenic in the pancake flour and demonstrates how the presence of arsenic was confirmed. Lynn Poole shows snapshots of Dr. Fisher as a student in the toxicology lab at Georgia Tech as well as photos from throughout his career in forensic medicine. Dr. Fisher says that this career is different and challenging every day and that there are many opportunities for medical examiners and other trained specialists, with salaries from $17,000-20,000.

On this program about forensic medicine, Dr. Guerin, from the Maryland State Medical Examiner's Office, describes the case of a body found in a burned house and shows photographs of forensic evidence to prove this was not a homicide. By comparing a series of skulls, Dr. Guerin explains how to determine the age of the victim by examining the suture lines and the sex by looking at the nasal ridges and angle. The sex can also be determined by the pelvic bones, and the height can be computed by measurement of long bones such as the femur. Thus, knowledge of anthropology, anatomy, and radiology are necessary for forensic scientists. Dr. Freimuth discusses the chemistry of forensic science and performs chemical tests to determine the presence of arsenic in the death of a child. Dr. Lovitt points out that twenty percent of all Maryland state deaths need to be investigated. This often involves autopsies for courtroom evidence. He gives examples of cases, and he diagrams a congenital aneurysm, which led to hemorrhaging and caused sudden death by natural causes. Dr. Fisher discusses that gunshots are the most common method of homicide and shows how bullets and shotgun blasts leave patterns of damage in the body.

Two seemingly unrelated crimes are linked and subsequently solved through forensic techniques involving spectrometry, blood typing, and ballistics with the use of microscopic methods.