Concentrations of cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, ethanol, acetone and β-hydroxybutyric acid (β-HBA) were determined in autopsy blood samples collected from 10 individuals, using methods developed earlier. In all cases, circumstances of death were suggestive of excessive cooling. The examined individuals were alcoholics; be fore death, all of them, except one, had been intoxicated with an ethanol level above 2 g/l. The control group consisted of blood samples from de ceased per sons who had died after short death throes due to road traffic accidents or hangings – the above mentioned sub stances were determined in these blood samples. High β-HBA concentrations were observed in the experimental group (free acetone, considered a marker of death due to excessive cooling, was not elevated). More over, levels of hormones (cortisol, in particular) in individuals who died due to hypothermia were significantly (p < 0.025) higher than in posttraumatic death cases. Low environmental temperature in creases the secretion of glycocorticosteroids (particularly cortisol) in intoxicated individuals and alcoholics. Thus, adrenal cortex hormones and β-HBA are more universal markers of hypothermia than levels of acetonaemia recorded during routine ethanol determinations using gas chromatography.