This disease is fortunately rare, as so far it has defied all the resources of the surgical art to relieve it. It is not quite so rare, however, as a perusal of the literature would seem to show, because the various statistical observations of accepted value have wisely refused to admit cases not backed up by a definite microscopic examination. As the great majority of these cases are unamenable to surgical treatment, and autopsies, particularly in this country, are difficult to obtain, suitable material for microscopic examination will only exceptionally be available.
When I reported my first case to this Association in 1904,1 I could find only one extensive tabulation of authentic cases, 24 in all.2 Powers3 would accept only 23 cases, including his case and mine. The latest observation by Proust4 tabulates 34 authentic cases and 14 probable. This list is obviously incomplate and does not contain Powers' case