The author presents shortly the causes and some clinical aspects of mutilating injuries of the hand based on the experience gathered in two of the major hand-surgery centers of the State of Vaud (population 550,000). It is noted that injuries at work with hydraulic presses and hot-pressing machines tend to diminish drastically, while more and more often mutilating lesions are caused by lawn-mowers, "do-it-yourself" and domestic gadgets. While direct mutilating injuries to the hand are seldom seen in traffic accidents, the high incidence of brachial plexus injuries in young motorcycle drivers cripples the hand beyond repair. Some ideas concerning prevention are ventured.