The observational techniques and results of i.r. measurements of the minor and trace molecular composition of the lower stratosphere are reviewed. Emphasis is given to those theoretical aspects of the formation of emission and absorption spectra which affect the quantitative interpretation of observational data in terms of the vertical distribution of observed molecular species.The principal experimental techniques currently being used are briefly reviewed, followed by a detailed summary of current knowledge of the abundances and spatial variability of the known minor constituents. The question of the determination of the minimum detectable concentration of a constituent molecule and its relationship to the instrumental parameters, the molecular transition intensities, and observation geometry is discussed; upper limit concentrations are given for some additional species of importance in current stratospheric studies.