To the Editor:—
In a communication in The Journal, January 11, de Takats discusses the priority of supradiaphragmatic splanchnic section. He takes issue with the statement (Peet, Woods and Braden, The Journal, Nov. 30, 1940, p. 1875) that "bilateral supradiaphragmatic splanchnic nerve section and lower dorsal sympathetic ganglionectomy were first introduced into this country by Peet in 1933." The preceding paragraph had clearly explained that this applied only to the surgical treatment of hypertension. As a matter of fact, the operation was first performed in this country by Peet in February 1929 for gastric crises (Peet, M. M.: Splanchnic Section for Hypertension; Preliminary Report, Univ. Hosp. Bull., Ann Arbor 1:17-18 [June] 1935. Kahn, E. A., and Barney, B. F.: Anterolateral Chordotomy for Intractable Pain of Tabes Dorsalis, Arch. Neurol. & Psychiat.38:467-472 [Sept.] 1937).De Takats did not perform the operation until October 1932, when he did it