Death followed aspirin ingestion in a 23-year-old woman. Since large amounts of aspirin tablets in the gut seem to retard their own absorption, it is essential that serial salicylate determinations be obtained following the ingestion to make certain that continued rise does not occur. Serum salicylate concentration did not correlate with the state of consciousness or magnitude of metabolic disturbance. We question the usefulness of gastric lavage in removing undissolved tablets.