A retrospective study evaluating haematoxylin basic fuchsin picric acid stain (HBFP) on necropsy material from 60 patients (1963 to 1970) has been undertaken. All had died of presumed myocardial infarction. Time before death varied between 30 minutes and 5 hours –too short for diagnostic histological appearances to develop. Results show that this stain is consistent and reliable.