Abscess of the cerebellum is a sequel of chronic suppuration of the ear in 80 per cent of the recorded cases, but rarely of acute suppuration. The route of transmission of the infection is either through the labyrinth or by the way of the sigmoid sinus. The symptoms and signs are those of abscess of the brain, pain, headache, vomiting, fever, slow pulse, prostration, choked disk and yawning. In addition to these, there are the focal symptoms and signs, nystagmus, vertigo, disturbances of equilibrium, loss of the sense of position, past pointing, adiadokokinesis and speech disturbances.Eagleton reported 50 per cent recovery in a series of these cases. Ten per cent recovery has been the general experience.

IN HIS work, the surgeon is confronted with two problems. First, he has to select the type of p)rocedure best suited to the disease from whiclh the patient is suffering, and seconidly, he has to evaluate the risk of the procedure on the indlividlual l)atient. In other wordls, to estimate as exactly as possil)le all the factors entering into the conceptioni, "surgical risk." Of these factors, the funiction of the heart and( kidneys is of paramiiotunit inmportance. In the presence of pronounced lesions of these organs, the estimation of tlheir function is coml)aratively easy and the surgeon is guidled l)y the clinical examiniation and routine laboratory tests. A large number of patients, however, are on the borderline of the class considered "poor surgical risks." In these, neither examinationi of the heart nor routine urine and blood examinations will (Iisclose the imiipend(ling danger of latent car(liovascular insufficiency. These cases are responsib)le for a large percentage of the mortalities, both in elective andl emergency surgery.Any method permitting a l)etter evaluation of this latent cardiovascular disability should be a welcome additioll to our diagniostic and prognostic armlamenitarium. Prerequisites for any additional method usedl for this purpose must be reliability and simplicity. The quest for such additionlal methods led us to the use of blood circulation time estimations.Having passed througlh an evolutionary process of its own, the estimation of the velocity of blood circulation-is now recognize(I as an accurate and useful diagnostic measure by many research workers ancd clinicians.1' 2,3, 4,5 The technic of the procedlure has been simplified to a great extent, and as used by us the test can be applied to great advantage by any one proficient in intravenous miiedication. It occupies less time than a routine blood count and employs no other instrumentation than an hypodermic syringe and several solutions as mentionied undler TECHNIC. \We have conducted the present studly on circulation time with the following desiderata in mind.(I) As a means of studying the effects of spinal anesthesia, morphine administrationi, an(l abdomiinial distention, on the velocity of 1)lood flow through the lungs and their possible relationship to postoperative pulmonary complications.(2) As an aicl in cases where a (lifferenitial (liagnosis between cardiac or infradiaplhragmiiatic disease must be established. 460

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