In rats with carbon tetrachloride induced cirrhosis the liver was investigated in rapidly frozen, freeze‐dried specimens. In the rats to which the administration of carbon tetrachloride was stopped 10 days prior to sacrifice the relative sinusoidal volume was found to be higher in the cryo‐preparations (mean 24 per cent) compared to formalin fixed tissue (mean 10 per cent) due to vascular collapse and a rapid development of intracellular oedema in the liver cells as apost mortemalteration in the formalin fixed tissue. This is parallel to previous findings in normal rat livers. In the group of cirrhotic rats treated with carbon tetrachloride until 24 hours before sacrifice necrosis of the liver cells was frequently found. In this group the relative vascular volume was much lower (mean 14 per cent) than in the rats without necrosis (mean 24 per cent) in the cryo‐preparations. These changes in sinusoidal volume, not visualized in conventional histological preparations, are explained by the presence of intracellular oedema of the liver cells caused by the carbon tetrachloride intoxication. In this group of rats the bile canaliculi were poorly visualized compared to the rats without recent intoxication. It is concluded that the use of an appropriate cryo‐technique is essential for the evaluation of the vital alterations in the cirrhotic rat liver, which is only poorly depicted by conventional histological te