A very extensive literature on the subject of chronic progressive deafness and its ramifications was surveyed for the year 1954. Professor Michel Portmann surveyed the French Literature and Dr. Bellucci the Italian. Portions of abstracts appearing in Excerpta Medica were utilized when necessary to cover the world literature adequately. The review has become very lengthy, even though we used less than half of the papers abstracted. Important new clinical information and significant research contributions form the bulk of the material.
Otosclerosis
Walsh287 examines the evidence relative to the effect of pregnancy on deafness caused by otosclerosis. The assumption of a relationship between pregnancy and deafness, caused by otosclerosis, is mainly based on the history given by the patient. A review of 601 case histories collected by the author and two other observers shows that more than half of all women (52%-57%) reported no effect of pregnancy on hearing. More