When faith healing is used to the exclusion of medical treatment, the number of preventable child fatalities and the associated suffering are substantial and warrant public concern. Existing laws may be inadequate to protect children from this form of medical neglect.

A substantial minority of Americans have religious beliefs against one or more medical treatments. Some groups promote exclusive reliance on prayer and ritual for healing nearly all diseases. Jehovah's Witnesses oppose blood transfusions. Hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren have religious or conscientious exemptions from immunizations. Such exemptions have led to personal medical risk, decreases in herd immunity, and outbreaks of preventable disease. Though First Amendment protections for religious freedom do not include a right to neglect a child, many states have enacted laws allowing religious objectors to withhold preventive, screening, and, in some states, therapeutic medical care from children. Religious exemptions from child health and safety laws should be repealed so that children have equal rights to medical care.

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NEW GROWTHS OF THE KIDNEY THME BARITUA The two latter are considered by some authorities to constitute " closed " tuberculosis, but the term does not appear to be quite accurate, as the pelvis is so extensively involved. It is difficult to place this particular specimen in the groups mentioned. If placed in Group 3 almost complete destruction of the whole kidney would be implied, and this is far from being the case. Such a specimen might be rightly considered as one of " closed renal tuberculosis," and be placed accordingly in a final and fifth group under that heading. The term " closed " could then be considered inadmissible in cases falling into Groups 3 and 4. I am greatly indebted to Professor Seymour Barling for permission to publish this case and for his advice and help.