SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* LUDWIG EDWARD J (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY 1 BECTON DRIVE (Street) FRANKLIN LAKES NJ 07417 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol BECTON DICKINSON & CO [ BDX ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) X Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) Chairman, President and CEO
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 05/25/2004
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	05/25/2004		M		34,512	A	$20.0325	115,593	D
Common Stock	05/25/2004		M		4,030	A	$24.8125	119,623	D
Common Stock	05/25/2004		F		2,053	D	$48.69	117,570	D
Common Stock	05/25/2004		S		32,512	D	$48.75	85,058(1)	D
Common Stock								19,168	I	SIP Trust(2)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	$20.0325	05/25/2004		M			34,512	01/22/1996	01/22/2006	Common Stock	34,512	$0	160,000	D
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	$24.8125	05/25/2004		M			4,030	01/27/1999(3)	01/27/2007	Common Stock	4,030	$0	203,186	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Includes shares acquired through dividend reinvestment since March 9, 2004.

2. Represents shares of common stock held under the Becton, Dickinson and Company Savings Incentive Plan (the "SIP"). The information presented for the SIP is as of April 30, 2004. Mr. Ludwig also has an interest in 581.6 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock under the SIP, which are convertible into 3,722 shares of common stock.

3. The option became 50% exercisable on January 27, 1999 and fully exercisable on January 27, 2000.

Remarks:

	Patricia Walesiewicz, by power of attorney for Edward J. Ludwig	05/26/2004
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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