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540 autopsies of institutionalized epileptics who had been treated with anticonvulsant drugs were evaluated as to type and frequency of pathological changes in the liver and compared with a control series of 270 nonepileptics. A specific liver-toxicity of antiepileptic drugs, or combination of drugs, could not be established. Thus, only in 3 cases, one of which was fatal, was a relationship found between anticonvulsant drug therapy and liver damage. Therefore, there seems to be no reason to discontinue anticonvulsant therapy or to reduce the usual dose for fear of causing liver damage. On the other hand, it was found that tuberculosis may have adverse effects upon the liver of patients undergoing anticonvulsant drug therapy. From 41 cases of active tuberculosis we found 13 with severe liver damage, 3 of which were fatal. 10 patients had, and 3 had not, received antituberculosis chemotherapy.

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Summary.In an unseleeted series of 272 appendices removed by operation 100 showed signs of appendicitis. In 31 cases the inflammation was serofibrinous, in 8 cases ulcerous, in li cases subaeute and in 50 cases uleero-phlegmonous.Apparently sero-fibrinous, ulcerous and subacute appendicitis are frequent forms of intestinal inflammation with an excellent tendency to heal spontaneously and accordingly of good prognosis. This is demonstrated by appendieal scars in more than 80 % of adults and by acute but clinically inapparent appendieal inflammation when the appendix was removed prophylactically during gynecologica! laparatomies.In all 50 cases of ulcero-phlegmonous appendicitis hemorrhagic necroses of the intestinal wall and 48 times mierothromboses were found. These are regarded as morphological equivalents of severe capillary damage comparable to those seen in eases of Shwartzman phenomenon. The disease often develops within a few hours and is but rarely reversible. Only in these cases is perforation to be feared.Thus ulcero-phlegmonous appendicitis and the other forms of appendicitis do not represent gradual degrees of one and the same pathological process but are of different pathogenesis.