CAUSES OF DEATH IN STATUS LYMPHATICUS

In the realm of medicine and surgery there are still a number of pathologic conditions of uncertain etiology but none that possesses more features of interest than the condition of constitutional hypersusceptibility known as status lymphaticus. Not only is the etiology of this condition uncertain, but the symptoms are vague, the diagnosis is difficult or impossible to make, the treatment is of doubtful value, and the sudden death that is occasionally seen has never been satisfactorily explained. The interest that has been attached to this subject is evident in the enormous amount of conflicting literature that has accumulated, especially on the significance of the enlarged thymus gland. With such diversity of opinion regarding status lymphaticus and the thymus gland, it is not surprising to find some physicians who seriously question the existence of such a condition and the occasional sudden death without adequate cause. In a recent contribution,¹ I