The treatment of developmental pseudarthrosis of the tibia is recognized as frequently unsatisfactory. Only in recent years has

CHRONIC disease of the accessory nasal sinuses is thought by many to be a very important factor in the production of chronic bronchitis and bronchitic asthma. One of the commonest problems that confront us in the treatment of these two diseases is a decision as to the advisability of treating the accessory nasal sinuses surgically. In the majority of cases the chronic " disease " of these sinuses is recognised clinically by a thickening of their lining or mucoperiosteum, and the presence of some mucus in the sinus cavity. When one sinus, such as the antrum, shows thickening of its lining, quite often other sinuses (sphenoids, ethmoids or frontals) may also show this abnormality. Usually the antra show the greatest thickening over a larger area and are often singled out for surgical intervention. The work reported here is an attempt to evaluate the effect of radical antral surgery (including removal of this thickened mucoperiosteum, and the establishment of free drainage) on the bronchitic asthma or chronic bronchitis present. This work was thought advisable because of the conflicting opinions found in the literature on the subject. Published results range from the optimistic reports of Potts 1 or Smith 2 to reports of little or no beneficial effect by Rackemann 3 and Piness. 4 We thought that one cause of this diversity of opinion was that sufficient time was not allowed to elapse after the operation before the result was finally recorded. In 1929, therefore, we decided to study a number of patients suffering from bronchitic asthma and chronic bronchitis and to observe them carefully over a long period of time. Thirty-one asthmatic patients were selected for operation.