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phenolsulphonphthalein. When these dyes are injected into the spinal canal they can be detected in the blood stream in less than two minutes. On the other hand, it takes practically an hour for the dyes to reach that part of the subarachnoid space where the pacchionian granulations are presumed to exist. In that time, i. e., before the pacchionian granulations have been reached, from 20 to 25 per cent of the dye has been both absorbed and excreted in the urine. Moreover, if the

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The etiology of wound disruption (dehiscence or evisceration) is not known, but postoperative complications such as peritonitis, pneumonia, and wound infections are frequently considered the direct cause. Inasmuch as the advent of the antibiotics has tended to decrease the number of these infections, one might suppose that this decrease would have a definite bearing on the relative incidence of evisceration after laparotomy.In 1926 one of us (R. B. B.) published a study of the cases of evisceration which had occurred over a previous 10-year period at Michael Reese Hospital.1 It seemed of interest to restudy the problem in the light of the recent advances in surgery, the "wonder drugs" being among the chief thereof, to see if the relative incidence of evisceration had decreased.In our first series, covering 1925-1934, we found that there were 32, or 0.43%, cases of evisceration or wound dehiscence after 7,500 major laparotomies.In our second series, 1947-1956, we found that there were 60, or 0.51%, cases of evisceration or wound dehiscence after 11,694 laparotomies. (In neither series did we include appendectomies performed through muscle-splitting incisions, nor did an evisceration occur after such an operation.) Thus, the relative number of eviscerations is still small and the difference in relative occurrence is probably of no statistical significance. One thing, however, is certain, and that is that the relative incidence of evisceration, in spite of the progress in surgery, has not diminished.The mortality after evisceration was 12 patients out of 32, or 37.5%, in our first series, and 12 out of 60, or 20%, in our second series. This is a relative numerical decrease, but, inasmuch as it appeared that in both series the actual cause of death was not the evisceration itself but either the primary disease for which the patient had been operated on or the postoperative complications which seemed to cause the evisceration, this decrease, as far as we can see, has no bearing on the etiology of evisceration.After a careful and detailed analysis of our studies in our first series we wrote, "The occurrence of evisceration after laparotomy seemed to be unpredictable. The uncertainty of this complication is its chief terror."The analysis and study of our second series (1947)(1948)(1949)(1950)(1951)(1952)(1953)(1954)(1955)(1956)) lead us to similar conclusions. Summary A careful study of the occurrence of evisceration after laparotomy at Michael Reese Hospital, covering the 10-year period from 1947 to 1956, shows that, since the advent of antibiotics, as well as other advances in surgery, there has been no reduction in the relative frequency of eviscerations.As far as we can see, the occurrence of evisceration is still unpredictable and unaccountable.A detailed analysis of our report will be published at some future date. PROSPECTSFOR THE CONTROL OF GONORRHEA.-It is normally an infection of the promiscuous and is most frequent in the large cities, where immigrants and itinerants congregate and fail to establish stable se...