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This book represents an approach to the study of heart disease from a rather new angle. A careful study and statistical review of 1,906 cardiac cases out of a total of 4,000 necropsies at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 1896 and 1919 is presented. Thus we learn that nearly half of all subjects examined at necropsy at this hospital during this period suffered from some cardiovascular lesion; also, after making certain allowances, to quote, "a cardiovascular lesion is an important factor in 38 per cent of all deaths." As Cabot states, no similar book or study exists as far as he knows. It is unfortunate, however, that it is not possible to obtain necropsies in all of a large series of fatal cases in which cardiovascular disease was either diagnosed or suspected. Such a study might alter, to a certain extent at least, some of the conclusions; some support for