Histologic study of the laryngeal nerves in two cases confirmed the modern concept of laryngeal paralysis. In a known case of unilateral vagus resection the paralyzed cord was immobilized in the intermediate position. Both the superior and inferior laryngeal nerves degenerated on that side as well as the homolateral cricothyroid muscle. In the other case of a supraclavicular lesion of one recurrent nerve the paralyzed cord was seen in the paramedian position. Only the recurrent nerve degenerated, while the cricothyroid muscle was intact bilaterally. A coincidental finding in the first case showed the terminal recurrent nerve invaded by tumor on the clinically normal side. This observation is important to tumor surgery, but cannot be explained from the clinical and pathologic records available in this case.