Beginning with the discovery by Hallpike and Cairns1 of a labyrinthine dropsy (hydrops labyrinthi) in the affected ear in 2 cases of Ménière's disease, a number of reports of similar histopathologic observations2 have appeared. A total of 16 ears have now been described with labyrinthine dropsy of this type, 11 of them from persons proved to have had Ménière's disease, 4 from persons who probably had this disease2c,d but with insufficient history for complete proof and 1 from a person without any history.2c The term "Ménière's disease" as used in this report is not synonymous with the terms "Ménière's symptom complex" and "Ménière's syndrome" as they have been commonly used in the past. The latter two terms have been used frequently to include labyrinthine disturbances of toxic, vascular and other origins as well as the idiopathic type of vertigo herein referred to as Ménière's disease. The latter is characterized by