For some years the spinal fluid with the so-called Froin syndrome has been considered almost pathognomonic of compression of the spinal cord. This opinion has recently been reiterated by Leschke1 and by Lantuéjoul,2 each of whom collected a series of cases, the one chiefly from German sources, the other from the French. The practical value of the recognition of this fact is, however, almost nil because such fluids are usually found only after destruction of the cord, too late for operation or other therapeutic procedure.
For a much shorter time—about a decade—has it been known that a spinal fluid apparently normal in every respect except for protein increase is frequently to be found below a cord tumor. But fluid presenting isolated protein increase could hardly be considered more than suggestive of compression of the cord because a similar picture could be otherwise obtained. Nevertheless, in cases presenting the