Embolic occlusion of the arteries of the spinal cord is infrequent and, so far as could be ascertained from a review of the literature, has not been reported as a complication of tonsillectomy. The following case is interesting not only because of the rarity of the lesion but because it was first diagnosed as poliomyelitis.
REPORT OF A CASE
History.—J. K. was sent to the Willard Parker Hospital on Aug. 12, 1929, with the diagnosis of poliomyelitis. The disease was prevalent in the city at that time. The examination on admission revealed an alert and cooperative boy, aged 8 years, with a Fröhlich syndrome. His tonsillar fossae were covered with a grayish membrane and presented the typical appearance after a recent tonsillectomy. There were complete flaccid paralysis and loss of sensation of both lower extremities, the right upper extremity and the muscles of the trunk (fig. 1). The left