The unmitigated failure of peptic ulcer therapy has prompted this overview of the epistemologic and logical fallacies of the prin­ciples and practice of ulcerology. The illogic, rooted in the very term peptic ulcer, assumes a crescendo momentum, to the detri­ment of the patient. Like many other fields, ulcerology is causali­stically oriented, culminating in cure-all drives against the assum­ed cause-the acid-pepsin complex. A plea is made, on grounds scientific, to view the situation from a different angle, holding the ulcer as dyspeptic, and as such irrelevant to the pathology, clinical features and treatment.

In a study of 114 patients who underwent 808 dialyses for renal failure, a high incidence of urinary tract infection (U.T.I.) was observed both in acute renal failure (A.R.F.) group (73.0%) and chronic renal failure (C.R.F.) group (57.5;;) . Although E. coli was the predominating urinary pathogen, the present study reveal­ed that other gram negative micro-organisms besides E. coli were also frequently isolated from the U.T.I. of both A.R.F. and C.R.F. cases. On the whole, both gram negative and gram positive micro­organisms exhibited high degree of resistance to antimicrobial agents. Antibiotics like Gentamycin Sulphate (98%), Polymyxin B (88%) and Colimycin Sulphate (86%) exhibited better range of total activity as compared to others.

Serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels measured in 72 patients with on acute myocardial infarction have been related to preva­lence of arrhythmias, the clinical state of patients and to the serum enzyme levels. Maximum elevation of serum FFA occurred within eight hours in most patients after acute myocardial infarction. Those with a striking elevation (above 1200 mEq/L) had an increased prevalence of serious arrhythmias and disorder of conduction. There was no correlation between serum FFA and clinical state of patients, except for cardio genie shock nor between serum FFA and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transminase levels, nor between serum enzyme levels and the prevalence of arrhythmias.

Leucocyte count was estimated in 220 suspected cases of acute appendicitis. The significance of white cell count in 192 cases of pathologically proved appendicitis is reported. It is suggested that the routine leucocyte count, a simple and non-time consuming in­vestigation, is valuable in the assessment of a possible case of acute appendicitis. It is further stressed that although a white cell count below 10,000/cu.mm, does not exclude the possibility of acute ap­pendicitis as seen in the present study, (false low count 7.9% false high 5.4%,) , such a value should prompt further review and con­sideration of diagnosis and it appears that correlation of physical signs with leucocyte count would carry more meaning than either of them alone.

The etiology, clinical features and treatment of thirty-eight cases of fatal perforative peritonitis were studied. The commonest cause of fatal peritonitis in this series was found to be ileal perfo­ration. Early diagnosis, intensive post-operative management includ­ing fluid and electrolyte balance, and employment of potent anti­biotics like gentamycin and kanamycin would definitely help in reducing mortality of peritonitis.

A patient with idiopathic partial occlusion of the entire inferior vena cava is described with results of hepatosplenic scintigraphy, radiology and necropsy.

A patient working for 18 years at arc welding and complaining of cough and dyspnoea was diagnosed by open lung biopsy as lung fibrosis suggestive of arc welder's lung. The salient features o f this case and the relevant literature are presented.