In devising methods for determining the velocity of any chemical reaction there are two experimental problems which invariably arise : (1) To arrange that the chemical system under investigation be made initially unstable in a period of time that is negligibly short in comparison with that taken by the chemical reaction. (2) To record from time to time the stages reached by the system (during its passage from the initial unstable state to the final stable condition wherein the several reacting substances are in chemical equilibrium) by means of methods which take a negligibly short time in comparison with that taken by the chemical reaction. A perusal of the literature shows that previous investigators have, in the main, restricted themselves to the study of slow reactions, such as may require many minutes or even hours to reach completion. In such cases, both requirements which we have mentioned can be easily met. For the production of the initially unstable condition can be achieved without difficulty by merely mixing the several reacting substances together in proportions far removed from those which prevail when equilibrium has been attained. The time required by the mixing operation can be reduced to a few seconds, and can therefore be neglected when dealing with a process which may last many minutes or even hours. The slow reactions possess a further attraction, in that the procedure for estimating the concentrations of the several reactants at different stages during the progress of the reaction need not be a hurried one. This permits the use of a wide variety of methods, e. g ., polarimetry as in the study of the inversion of sucrose, ordinary titration as in the saponification of esters, and separation of one of the constituents as a gas phase as in the decomposition of diazo-acetic ester by water, i. e ., N 2 . CHCOOC 2 H 5 +H 2 O→OHCH 2 . COOC 2 H 5 +N 2 (gas phase).

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A review of a family and the most recent case history in the only male has shown that the cerebellar tumdur was verified for sibling I at the age of 29 years by pathological section and an eye tumour was treated by radon seeds. Sibling II-the cerebellar tumour was verified at operation at the age of 23 years and by pathological section at two subsequent operations. The eye tumour presented a similar pathological appearance. Sibling III had a naevus of the limbus of the left eye, which became less apparent after nine years. Sibling IV: The new case was verified by pathological examination at the age of 28 years and after extensive radiation an-eye tumour, capillary in type, has slightly progressed in four years. Acknowledgment: To Dr. K. W. McKenzie my thanks and congratulations for the surgical care and remarkable results that have meant so much to the members of this family. Dr. Eric Linell was responsible for the excellent pathological reports and photographs. Miss Wishart made coloured drawings, which add much to the written description. Also thanks to the Departments of Surgery, Neuro-Pathology, Veterans' Affairs, Ophthalmology, Art and Photography.

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