[Remarks on the paper by B. Schellmann and W. Sperl, "Detection of diatoms in the bone marrow (femur) of non-drowning victims," J Legal Med 83:319--324 (1979) (author's transl)].

The authors have once again examined the so-called diatom test from the point of view of its evidential value, and they have come to the conclusion that the number of diatoms in the femur of non-drowning victims is as high as that in the femur of drowning victims. In this connection they cite in the first place Otto (1961) who is said to have also detected diatoms in the great-circulation organs of non-drowning victims. This is not true. Otto examined "normal" lung dust and found in a strikingly systematic way diatoms, diatom fragments, and other organic siliceous skeletons. It was Krauland who arrived at the idea of testing for diatoms on a wide scale, and these investigations were carried out within the framework of a dissertation. Although this was not published until 1965 (Schneider), partial results were presented earlier by Spitz at meetings in Münster (1962) and London (1963) and published by Spitz and Schneider in 1964. Even if there is continuing discussion about the value of the diatom test as evidence, it can at least be stated at this time that the test is definitely not appropriate for the differential diagnosis of "drowning death/sudden death from natural causes in the water".