Describes the cases of 2 men (aged 26 & 28 years) with histories of polysubstance abuse who tried to commit suicide by hanging. Both cases are remarkable for the severity of anterograde amnesia in the context of relative preservation of other cognitive capacities. Possible mechanisms for induction of this amnesia are discussed. It is most likely that circulatory disturbance produced by the ligatures caused ischemic hippocampal damage, which in turn led to amnesia. (10 refs.)